NASA engineers showed an unusual inflatable parachute for landing on Mars

NASA laboratory engineers demonstrated LOFTID inflatable moderator, which will be used to deliver heavy payloads to Mars, Venus and Titan.

Credits: NASA Langley Research Center (Twitter)

An inflatable structure with a diameter of 6 meters, protected by a flexible heat shield, will reduce the speed of spacecraft during entry into the atmosphere and protect the descent module from overheating.

Engineers notedthat the Martian atmosphere is much less dense than Earth's and poses a serious problem for aerodynamic braking. It will provide some drag, but will not be able to slow the spacecraft down to the speed needed to safe landing.

The LOFTID acts like a giant brake, generating more drag than a smaller, traditional rigid aerodynamic shell. The new technology will allow deceleration to begin in the upper atmosphere, which will give more space for braking and at the same time reduce the heating of the hull.

On previous missions to Mars, NASA has used rigid heat shields that cannot be scaled—their diameter is always limited by the size of the rocket shroud. For a mission involving people and the delivery of large cargoes, these are no longer suitable.

The first LOFTID trials will take place on November 1 this year. The moderator will be tested in near-Earth orbit, lifting it with an Atlas V rocket along with a weather satellite.