Thelong - awaitedflying disc testfinally materialize in the Hawaiian skiesthis weekend . The master mission of pass judgment the test vehicle was a everlasting succeeder , but the bonus delegation of evaluating fresh landing technologies were more mixed , with the parachute failing to deploy .
The dish aerial - shaped test vehicle being lifted aboard the Kahana convalescence vessel after the first loose - flight of stairs of the Low - Density Supersonic Decelerator .
The Low - Density Supersonic Decelerator ( LDSD ) project has three planned test flight : the one this weekend was design to essay the launch fomite itself , while the next two flight are plan to evaluate prototype landing technologies for succeeding Mars mission . That mean that the primary foreign mission for the first tryout flying this weekend was really straightforward : to establish that the disk - shaped test vehicle can actually take flight , a key preliminary stride in using it to test out Modern engineering for Mars landings . If it also serve as a test for the landing place engineering science , that ’s a inquiry - incentive .
The thin atmosphere on Mars makes land delicate equipment cautiously take exception . The two new technologies being developed in the LDSD undertaking are an inflatable disc , Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator ( SIAD ) , that increase drag on the vehicle , and an tremendous parachute , Supersonic Disk Sail Parachute ( SDSP ) . If they work , they ’ll spread out up the possibility for big and bigger equipment on Mars , raising the maximal payload weight limit to over two tons ! so as to essay this equipment on Earth , the tests need to take place in the upper stratosphere , where the air is thinner .
The LDSD is at the upper - leave , at the tip of the contrail , while the balloon that provided initial face lift is to the mid - right .
Here ’s how the day worked out :
A balloon found at 8:45 am local clip on Saturday , carrying the psychometric test fomite to about 36,600 measure ( 120,000 feet ) over the Pacific Ocean . At 11:05 am , the balloon drop the mental testing fomite , at which full point the saucer fired its rocket salad , initiating powered flight to boost it to an even high elevation . Once the vehicle reached the upper stratosphere at 54,900 meter ( 180,000 feet ) , the rockets cut out , and the bonus mission of testing the landing place prototypes began .
Two fellow member of the recovery crew swim towards the test vehicle , with convalescence watercraft Mana’o II in the background .
The disk worked corking , inflating and increase drag for the plummeting examination vehicle , but the chute failed to ( fully ) deploy . The saucer taste into the Pacific Ocean at 11:35 phase modulation . The inflatable platter did n’t just slow the vehicle during its decent ; it also acted a bit like a baby ’s water - extension and kept the fomite afloat while crew recover the dish antenna . They even managed to scramble on board , very in short using the aircraft as a boat . All the test ironware and the black box data recorder were recovered without difficulty .
verbalise at a jam conference after the test , labor manager Mark Adler is entranced by the primary missionary station ’s full achiever , and the assorted succeeder of the incentive deputation :
“ We are thrilled about yesterday ’s test . The mental test vehicle worked beautifully , and we met all of our flight objectives . We have regain all the vehicle hardware and data point recorders and will be able to apply all of the lessons learned from this data to our future flights . ”
If you ’re wondering why he ’s so unreservedly giddy about the psychometric test flying when the parachute fail to deploy , that ’s because the design parachute trial is intimately a class aside . It is only because the mental test fomite performed perfectly , and SAID inflated absolutely , that we even had a hazard to check out the chute ’s execution this too soon in the examination sequence !
The flying saucer resting after its first flying aboard convalescence vessel Kahana .
Read more at theLDSD project page . look-alike deferred payment NASA / JPL - Caltech
NASA
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