NASA has launched “Low Density Supersonic Decelerator” (LDSD), known simply as a ‘flying saucer.’, as part of its step towards a manned mission to Mars.
LDSD went up on Monday from the US Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii. After the launch, it will take LDSD around three hours to reach an altitude of 120,000 feet.
This is known as test altitude, and about 45 minutes after the balloon reaches this height a solid-fueled rocket engine will power up and fire the test vehicle at Mach 4 up to 180,000 feet, the edge of the stratosphere. The vehicle will then slow down to Mach 3 and it will deploy the Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (SIAD). The SIAD initiates a further deceleration to a sedate Mach 2.4, the maximum speed of most fighter jets, and then the test vehicle will deploy a supersonic parachute, which will bring it down to a controlled impact on water.
INC News, 08/06/2015 - via RT
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