NASA Launched and Retrieved LOFTID in 2022

NASA launched and retrieved LOFTID in 2022. LOFTID (Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator) tested whether the HIAD  (Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator) works, and it does! One the problems with landing on either the moon or on other planets (or even on earth) is that the friction of deceleration causes previous vehicles’ heat shields to become unreliable. This new inflatable heat shield, a giant, inflatable set of cone tubes, reduced entry speed from Mach 28 (21,483 miles per hour) to Mach 0.7 (537 miles per hour). The HIAD and another project lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Center in Lompoc, California. The HIAD returned to earth and landed in the Pacific Ocean. Children can learn more at: HIAD.