The Frst Test Of NASA’s Next-Generation Heat Shield Has Been Postponed Until At Least November 9th 

NASA has set a launch window for the LOFTID mission starting November 9th. It will be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on a ULA Atlas rocket with NOAA’s new “polar weather satellite”. LOFTID will deploy and inflate in low Earth orbit as it leaves the upper stage of an Atlas rocket.

The researchers have created an inflatable aerodynamic shell that will ensure a slow descent of vehicles in conditions of low atmospheric resistance.

The inflatable structure, protected by a flexible heat shield, will reduce the speed of the spacecraft when entering the atmosphere and protect the launch module from overheating. The atmosphere of Mars is much less dense than Earth’s and presents a serious problem for aerodynamic braking, the scientists explain. When a spacecraft enters the atmosphere, aerodynamic forces act on it.  Atmospheric resistance helps to slow down the apparatus, converting its kinetic energy into heat. This is the most economical way of landing.