NASA and ULA To Test Inflatable Heat Shield For Atmospheric Reentry

Irene Klotz October 17, 2022
Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator

The Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (Loftid) is scheduled for Nov. 1.

Credit: Greg Swanson/NASA
NASA and United Launch Alliance are kicking off what they hope will be a series of orbital flight tests to scale up the size of heat-resistant aeroshells that inflate to provide safe, low-cost and efficient transportation through planetary atmospheres—including Earth’s—at hypersonic speeds. The...
Irene Klotz

Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral. Before joining Aviation Week in 2017, Irene spent 25 years as a wire service reporter covering human and robotic spaceflight, commercial space, astronomy, science and technology for Reuters and United Press International.

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