If you're high enough, the chute doesnt pop immediately. I don't know offhand what the altitude is that they do pop, but if you hit '[' or ']' just after you decouple it switches your view to nearby objects, like spent stages, and you can watch them to see if the chute deploys lower down. But you won't be in control of the upper stage anymore, until you change back. I think also that if the upper stage gets too far away, you can't change back. Edit: and Hello, as well