NASA engineers are preparing the Aerodynamic Inflatable Supersonic Retarder for test trials. Photos and descriptions of the spacecraft. At a press conference held on a new spacecraft called the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (also commonly known as the Aerodynamic Inflatable Supersonic Decelerator), NASA's multimedia service has officially announced its full readiness to launch the vehicle for research.
As the press service of NASA said, this aircraft will be used to deliver our astronaut pilots and various kinds of cargo to Mars. It should be noted that the LDSD looks like a flying saucer. This miracle of scientific technology was developed by the workers of the Laboratory of Jet Propulsion. It was they who started the construction of the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator. But, before launching to the Red Planet, some tests are planned. They will occur in the stratosphere of the Earth, at an altitude of more than 60 kilometers above the ground and exceeding the speed of sound by 3.5 times. The test flight "into space" is scheduled for June 3.
The speed of sound is 340, 29 m / s, multiplying this value by 3.5 - we get 1191, 015 meters per second, and if translated into km / h, we get the number 4287, 65057 km per hour. 1 m / s = 3.599997 km / h. This experimental flight is needed in order to test advanced technologies that are simply necessary for use in future flights to Mars. The tests will also show whether it is possible for humans to fly on this "flying saucer" and whether it will be safe.
NASA engineers did not bother and built two such flying objects at once. Interestingly, they differ in size: the first is 8 meters, and the second is six. The difference in size is due to the fact that the first vehicle will be used to transport pilots and will be filled with compressed air. But the second spacecraft is also designed for cargo transportation, and, at the final stage of flights to Mars, it will be completely filled with gas. As explained at a press conference, these manipulations will allow you to land more gently, as well as increase the area of the ship, without increasing its mass. “Tests of the flying ship are planned to be carried out over the territory of the Pacific Ocean, in order to maintain greater safety. The device is equipped with a jet engine and a huge parachute with a diameter of almost 33.6 meters, which will be designed to carry out a smooth landing of especially heavy loads on the surface of the Red Planet. An inflatable retarder will also be included in the equipment. The "flying saucer" will first pick up maximum speed, and then make a stop and landing, repeating in detail the future landing on the Martian surface, "the former astronaut and current head of Nass, Charles Frank Bolden, shared information with reporters.
When conducting a test flight, it is planned to first raise the device to a height of about 36 kilometers above the earth's surface using a large balloon. Then the device will turn on its own jet engines and rise to an altitude of 55 kilometers, while developing its own speed, which will exceed the speed of sound by 3.5 times. At the end of testing, the LDSD will be lowered to the surface of the Pacific Ocean using a parachute and inflatable braking.
A clear advantage of this unit over its counterparts is that its design in tandem with a very specific braking system can reduce the level of propellant consumption and will have a positive effect on the protection of the spacecraft during landing.
