NASA's Bold Mars Landing Approach: Crash Testing for the Future

Discover NASA's audacious new method for landing on Mars - by intentionally crashing onto its surface! Dive into the revolutionary Simplified High Impact Energy Landing Device (SHIELD), a pioneering lander concept being put to the test at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Forget traditional parachutes and retrorockets – SHIELD introduces a game-changing approach. Picture a collapsible, accordion-like base designed to absorb landing impact energy. Witness the remarkable moment when a full-scale prototype was launched from a towering 90-foot drop tower on August 12, 2022. The prototype's encounter with a steel plate simulated Mars-like conditions, validating the concept. Shockingly, electronic components including a smartphone within the SHIELD prototype survived the collision after being subjected to a breathtaking 110 mph (177 kph) impact. Stay tuned for how this innovative technology could redefine low-cost Mars missions. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/California Academy of Sciences

Tags: NASA, Mars landing, SHIELD lander, innovative technology, crash testing, space exploration, Mars missions, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, low-cost missions, space technology, energy absorption, audacious approach, future space travel, space science, Mars surface, cutting-edge engineering

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