NASA has a ready inflatable heat shield which allows the large surface to take up less space on a rocket than a rigid one. With this technology you could land a spacecraft on any planet that has an atmosphere, especially Mars: it would expand and swell before entering the atmospheric radius to safely land cargo and astronauts.
the flight test is scheduled for November 1st. It will be launched into low earth orbit by an inflatable decelerator (LOFTID). What NASA wants to see is how the system inflates once it lands on Earth.
The heat shield will be launched into space aboard a rocket United Launch Alliance Atlas Valong with a JPSS-2 polar orbit weather satellite.
In the future, the heat shield could be used to slow down a spacecraft survive entering all kinds of university atmospheres.
Experts believe that, if successful, the craft’s technology, similar in shape to a classic UFO, could one day allow humans to safely land on Mars.
When it comes to destinations with atmospheres, including Mars, Venus or the EarthOne of the key challenges NASA faces is how to deliver heavy payloads.
In its current form, the rigid aeroshells Today’s rockets are limited by the size of a rocket’s shell: its aerodynamic protective cover. For example, remember the “seven minutes of terror” that the Perseverance Rover using a parachute to descend to the Martian surface last year.
The spacecraft crossed the atmosphere of Mars moving at nearly 20,000 kilometers per hour, but then it had to reduce the speed to zero km seven minutes later to land safely on the surface.
Although perseverance survived the descent unscathed using a basic parachute, the landing process is more complicated for larger payloads, such as rockets with humans on board.
“One answer is a inflatable aerodynamic layer which can be deployed on a much larger scale than the bridge, “NASA explained in a statement.
“This technology enables a variety of NASA proposed missions to destinations such as Mars, Venus, Titan – one of Saturn’s moons – and back to Earth. When a spacecraft enters the atmosphere, aerodynamic drag helps reduce speed“, the US agency reported.
However, the atmosphere of Mars is much less dense than that of the Earth, which it is an extreme challenge for aerodynamic deceleration.
“The atmosphere is it thick enough? enough to provide some drag, but too thin to slow the spacecraft to the same speed it would in Earth’s atmosphere, “NASA explained.
His solution to this problem is a large inflatable heat shield, which It acts like a giant brake.
The nearly seven-meter-wide heat shield would be deployed at the top of the atmosphere, allowing a spacecraft to decelerate earlier, while experience less intense heating.
On November 1, NASA will demonstrate the technology from low Earth orbit for the first time.
Once the JPSS-2 satellite reaches orbit, the heat shield inflates and it will be placed on a return path from low Earth orbit to test its ability to slow down and survive reentry.
If the test is successful, it could prove crucial in helping NASA achieve its ambitious goal of send humans to the red planet in the next decade.
“This technology could support the landing and large crew robotic missions to Marsas well as returning heavier payloads to Earth, “added NASA.
Source: Clarin
