NASA’s flying saucer-shaped spacecraft, the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD), splashed down and was successfully recovered after completing a recent test. The test consisted of launching the LDSD aboard a balloon, then using its rockets to propel it even higher. The vehicle reached a maximum height of 180,000 feet, and saw supersonic speeds during its flight. The flying saucer didn’t perform exactly as expected, though- its parachute was torn to shreds after fully inflating. Fortunately, though, the LDSD’s other speed-arresting device, its donut-like Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator, deployed and functioned without incident.
NASA flying saucer to take astronauts to Mars.
The Low Density Supersonic Decelerator was designed solely with a manned mission to Mars in mind. The spacecraft will need to carry a human crew as well as heavy equipment. The Martian atmosphere is far from dense, so the LDSD needs to have a high-drag shape and speed arrestors that can slow the heavy craft in such an environment. For that reason, it employs a new type of ringsail parachute that has twice the surface area of the parachute employed during the landing stage of the Curiosity rover mission. In a previous test, the parachute began to tear even while the chute was deploying, so some scientists and engineers working on the LDSD think that this failure is slightly less severe than the one from the previous test.
The next step is clear for the team behind the LDSD.
NASA’s flying saucer will need a parachute worthy of both Mars’ low-drag, low-density atmosphere, and Earth’s high-drag, high-density atmosphere. This means that the parachute must have a large surface area and be strong enough to withstand the high wind forces present at supersonic speeds. Clearly, it’s back to the drawing board to figure out a way to make the parachute stronger.
What’s after that?
The NASA flying saucer will need another two fully successful flights before it can gain approval for use in the Mars program. This was the second test, and there’s one more launch planned next year, as well as more likely coming after that. When human lives rely on the technology in a vehicle such as the LDSD, it is important to ensure that everything works like clockwork.
