"High over the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, NASA’s LDSD “flying saucer”
spacecraft traveled at almost four times the speed of sound as it
raced upwards toward the heavens.
At approximately 180,000 feet, NASA successfully performed the craft’s
first crucial test imperative for a possible future Mars mission. But
not everything went according to plan.
After deploying the craft’s doughnut-shaped inflatable device, dubbed
Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (SIAD), NASA was able to
slow the saucer’s descent to a more manageable 2.5x the speed of sound.
But upon deploying the LDSD’s giant parachute—the second and most
crucial part of NASA’s test launch—the chute became tangled, and the
spacecraft eventually splashed down into the Pacific Ocean. It was
supposed to land gently.
If there was payload on that craft—or worse, humans—the mission would
have been an unmitigated disaster. But luckily this was just a test,
and NASA can use that data to improve upon the LDSD’s systems. The
agency is using a parachute system that dates back to the 1970s, but
with heavier payloads and a larger overall chute—about 36 meters in
diameter.
Stating the obvious, Dan Coatta, one of the mission specialists, said
it appeared as though the chute didn’t “deploy that well.” NASA tested
the LDSD technology at extremely high altitudes because they’re most
similar to the upper atmosphere of Mars."
-Read more here:
NASA’s “Flying Saucer” Flight Test
