Artist’s concept showing the LDSD vehicle flight in the upper atmosphere
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
On the morning of 28 June 2014, NASA launched a balloon, carrying a novel saucer-shaped test vehicle, known as LDSD, from the US Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii. The LDSD was developed to evaluate new landing techniques for future missions to Mars, the Red Planet. The LDSD dropped from the balloon 2 hours and 20 minutes after launch, and started powered flight, at an altitude of about 120,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean. In the end of the successful test, LDSD splashed down in the ocean, approximately 30 minutes later.
While this initial test was designed to determine the flying ability of LDSD, it also deployed two new landing technologies, which will be tested again, in the coming two flights of the vehicle.
Initial indications show that the vehicle successfully performed its flight test as planned, and deployed the two landing technologies. The first technology is a doughnut-shaped tube termed SIAD, with early indications that it operated as expected. The second is a giant parachute, the Supersonic Disk Sail Parachute. Real-time imagery from LDSD indicates that the parachute did not function as expected.
Innovative technologies like LDSD will help get larger payloads to Mars, and pave the way for future manned missions. Among other applications, this new space technology will allow transportation of the supplies and materials needed for prolonged missions to the Red Planet.
The Earth's upper atmosphere is an ideal environment to simulate the properties of the thin Marian atmosphere.
References
NASA
www.nasa.gov/
JPL
www.jpl.nasa.gov/