Successful test of inflatable heat shield brings NASA closer to first-ever Mars landing

Last week, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced the test of an inflatable heat shield for reentry vehicles. It was successfully tested the day before.

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The Atlas V rocket sent the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) demonstrator into space. The module successfully deployed the heat shield at an altitude of 125 km before returning to Earth and landing in the ocean.

A successful test of the new system means that NASA is one step closer to landing on Mars. The Red Planet's atmosphere does not allow a parachute system to be used effectively to successfully land spacecraft. In the case of the small rovers Spirit and Opportunity, scientists used airbags, which triggered during the collision with the surface. The larger rovers Perseverance and Curiosity were helped by jet engines.

Module LOFTID during returning to Earth did not stop to transmit telemetry, but NASA declares that the device has proved itself well during the test. In the near future, experts from the space agency will examine data recorder, which will restore all the details of the mission.

Source: space