How Do Spacecraft Slow Down? We Asked a NASA Technologist

How do spacecraft slow down? Rigid heat shields and
retropropulsion have been the favorites of engineers for
years. Now NASA is testing a new inflatable heat shield
technology that could allow us to carry even larger
payloads to worlds with atmospheres:
https://www.nasa.gov/loftid
Launching on Nov. 1 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas
V rocket along with NOAA's JPSS-2 mission, the Low-Earth
Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator, or LOFTID,
will demonstrate the heat shield's ability to slow down and
survive atmospheric entry: https://go.nasa.gov/3N7yzBG
Producers: Scott Bednar, Jessica Wilde