Flight Planned In June From U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) On Kauai, Hawaii

NASA plans a second test of its Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) early next month, with a test window of June 2-12 set for the flight. The text will be conducted from the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on Kauai, Hawaii.

For the test, a giant balloon will carry the test vehicle to an altitude of 120,000 feet. After released from the balloon, a booster rocket will lift the disk-shaped vehicle to 180,000 feet, during which it will accelerate to supersonic speeds.

Traveling at about three times the speed of sound, the vehicle’s inner-tube-shaped decelerator, called a supersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator, will inflate and slow the vehicle. Then, at Mach 2.35, its parachute will inflate and gently carry the vehicle to the ocean's surface.

The first LDSD flight test in June 2014 verified the sound design of the vehicle design and test approach, and provided the project team an early look at how two deceleration technologies would function when traveling at supersonic speeds. During this first test, the SIAD operated successfully but the parachute did not inflate. One of the main goals this time around is to test the redesigned parachute.

NASA's LDSD program is part of the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate, which innovates, develops, tests and flies hardware for NASA's future missions.

(Image provided by NASA)

FMI: www.nasa.gov/spacetech