NASA is testing an inflatable heat shield (LOFTID) that could help humans safely reach the surface of Mars.
Even though we're nowhere near sending humans to Mars, NASA is preparing for that big day. On Thursday, the space agency conducted a test flight of an inflatable heat shield that could be crucial to safely landing humans on the Red Planet.
The Low - Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) was launched by a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
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It was a demonstration of how a heat shield can slow and protect a payload (such as a rover or astronauts in a spacecraft) as it descends into atmosphere a planet's. NASA's mission is designed to test the technology needed to land crewed missions to Mars and for larger robotic missions to Venus or 's moon SaturnTitan.
The primary mission of the Atlas V rocket was to launch a weather forecasting satellite into orbit, but the Loftid technology was also launched with it. During its stay in space, it expanded into a cone shape. This heat shield is made of high-tech materials that allow it to withstand the extreme conditions and temperatures of space.
When a spacecraft enters a planet's atmosphere, it encounters aerodynamic forces, which help slow it down.
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On Mars, where the atmosphere is just 1% the density of Earth's atmosphere, extra help is needed to create the traction needed to slow down and safely land a spacecraft.
That's why NASA engineers believe that a large, expanding spacecraft, which inflates and is protected by a flexible heat shield, could brake while traveling through the Martian atmosphere.
NASA's heat shield is designed to create more resistance in the upper atmosphere of Mars to help the spacecraft slow down sooner.
As for yesterday's test flight, the return to Earth wasn't easy. NASA estimated that Loftid was coming into the atmosphere at a speed of 18,000 miles per hour (8 kilometers per second).
NASA shared a video of the heat shield falling near Hawaii with a parachute lowering it into the ocean, where it was recovered by experts.
An inflatable heat shield could be very useful for long-distance space transport. Current rigid designs (like the one used for NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover) are limited in size by what can fit on a rocket. The inflatable shield would create more drag as it moves through the Martian atmosphere, a process NASA likens to “a giant brake.” This means Loftid’s technology could help deliver larger and heavier payloads to the Martian surface.
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NASA will analyze the performance of the heat shield based on sensor and camera data. This information will help shape future versions of the design. Perhaps one day we'll see this NASA heat shield or one similar to it take humans to Mars.
