Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator
Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) is a NASA mission to test inflatable reentry systems.[1] It is the first such test from Earth-orbital speed.
LOFTID was launched on an Atlas V 401 in November 2022 as a secondary payload, along with the JPSS-2 weather satellite.[2] It deployed successfully and landed in the ocean near Hawaii on November 10, 2022. [3]
History
LOFTID follows on from Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator, including the Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (SIAD), tested at Mach 4 in 2015 on a suborbital rocket.
Design
It inflates to 6 metres diameter.[1] Its total mass is about 2,400 lb.
It is formed from 7 inflatable tori (6 wide and one narrow), with on one side a flexible thermal protection layer.[4]
Launch, deployment, and results
Launch and deployment (inflation, separation and splashdown from the Atlas V Centaur 2nd stage) were successful.[2]
It reentered the atmosphere at about Mach 29, reached a peak deceleration of about 9 g, and splashed down under a subsonic parachute near Hawaii.[4]
According to the principal investigator, Dr. Neil Cheatwood, the success means the technology is now ready to use on missions. [3]
Commercial interest
Dr. Cheatwood reports that about a dozen companies have contacted him to express interest in the technology. [3]
See also
- Inflatable decelerator, including NASA's IRVE and HIAD
- Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator, including the Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (SIAD), tested at Mach 4 in 2015.
References
- ^ a b Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID)
- ^ a b Gebhardt, Chris (10 November 2022). "Atlas rocket bids farewell to California as ULA readies for Vulcan". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ a b c NASA Launched an Inflatable Flying Saucer, Then Landed It in the Ocean
- ^ a b LOFTID factsheet