NASA has completed a technical demonstration of a low-Earth orbit flight test of the Inflatable Inflator (LOFTID) mission. “Inflatable pneumatic retarder” or “aviation shell” technology could one day help humans land on Mars.
go #AIRTIME!View our inflatable heat shields @NASA_Technology test separately from it @ulalaunch Centaur upper stage rocket. Watch via Splash Live: https://t.co/BgScjbdJW6
How LOFTID is helping future astronauts land on Mars: https://t.co/eDRGA9TbKf pic.twitter.com/1y9Tf34KtJ
– NASA (@NASA) November 10, 2022
LOFTID technology
According to NASA, it relies on rigid air-shell parachutes and rockets to slow down as people, vehicles and hardware enter the descent and land on a planet or other cosmic object with an atmosphere.
The space agency has spent more than a decade developing its Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Retarder (HIAD) technology. The LOFTID orbital flight test is the next step in the program. At 6 meters in diameter, the LOFTID reentry vehicle is the largest bluff body to ever enter the atmosphere, according to NASA.
Image credit: NASA
Reentry using HIAD technology
When a spacecraft or anything else enters a planet’s atmosphere, drag acts on the object and slows it down, converting kinetic energy into heat. The large size of the HIAD device means that it generates more drag than conventional aviation shells and initiates the deceleration process in the atmosphere.
take off!finals @ULALaunch Atlas V rocket soars from @SLDelta30 Two separate missions are being carried out to Earth orbit: #JPSS2 and #AIRTIME. pic.twitter.com/Kg5Cns0Dwt
– NASA (@NASA) November 10, 2022
Not only would this allow for heavier payloads, but it would also allow landings from higher altitudes. Additionally, it can be used to bring back massive objects from Earth orbit, such as items from the International Space Station. NASA said the technology could also potentially be used to bring back rocket assets after launch.
HIAD design
The HIAD device will have an inflatable structure capable of maintaining its shape against resistance. It will also have a protective flexible thermal protection system that will protect it from heat generated during reentry. Its structure is made from a stack of pressurized concentric rings that are bundled together to form a tapered structure.
The rings are made of woven synthetic fibers that are 15 times stronger than steel, according to NASA. The entire system is foldable, packable and deployable, meaning it will take up less space on the rocket. This also makes its design scalable.