FLYING SAUCER 🛸🥏 flight test by#NASA

Flying saucer test flight ✈️
NASA LOW DENSITY Supersonic Decelerator
NASA 2023NASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator Flying Saucer Test Flight Description
The Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) was developed by NASA to test and develop entry, descent, and landing technologies for future missions to Mars. On June 28, 2014, NASA conducted a test flight of the LDSD flying saucer over the Pacific Ocean.
The LDSD test flight began with a giant balloon carrying the 7,000-pound test vehicle to a height of 120,000 feet. At this height, the vehicle was released from the balloon, and a rocket booster carried it up to an altitude of 180,000 feet, simulating the conditions of entering the Martian atmosphere.
The LDSD was equipped with two decelerators - a supersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator (SIAD) and a supersonic parachute. The SIAD is a doughnut-shaped device that inflates around the vehicle and slows it down, allowing the parachute to deploy at a safer speed. The parachute has a diameter of 100 feet and is made of a high-strength fabric called Vectran.
During the test flight, the LDSD reached a speed of Mach 4 and experienced a range of conditions that simulate the challenges of landing a spacecraft on Mars. The LDSD's performance was successful, and NASA hopes to use the technology developed from this test to land larger spacecraft and eventually humans on Mars.