On Thursday, NASA launched a new type of inflatable heat shield into space, which then returned flawlessly to the atmosphere.
Why is this important?
NASA and other space agencies are increasingly committed to a manned landing on Mars in the 2030s. But before that is possible, ways must be devised to carry larger payloads to the Red Planet.the essence: A new type of inflatable heat shield, lofted called, it was successfully tested on Thursday.
- On that day, an Atlas V rocket from United Launch Alliance, the aerospace company of aircraft manufacturer Boeing and defense giant Lockheed Martin, blasted off into space. On board there was an inflatable heat shield resembling a flying saucer.
- After LOFTID reached space, the shield exploded when it was 125 kilometers above the Earth’s surface
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