LOFTID Gets Pumped Up for Launch

A NASA technology that could one day help land humans on Mars, the Bernard Kutter Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID), is scheduled to launch with a polar-orbiting satellite in September 2022. After the satellite makes its way to orbit, LOFTID will descend back to Earth from low-Earth orbit to demonstrate that the inflatable aeroshell, or heat shield, can slow down and survive re-entry. The inflation system is one component of the LOFTID re-entry vehicle, and it is designed to slowly expand the aeroshell to its final shape before it reenters Earth’s atmosphere. The testing was done using an inflatable volume tori simulator, or a series of rings that use the same amount of air as the flight aeroshell. Each inflation test was run as the system would operate in flight. This ensures the inflation system responds as intended during routine operations and during potential anomalies. More: