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LOFTID Inflatable Heat Shield Success

#1
Yazata Offline
A ULA Atlas Centaur that recently launched a new weather satellite carried a more interesting secondary payload. This was something called LOFTID. a first try at an inflatable heat shield capable of protecting objects reentering the Earths atmosphere from orbital velocity. This very successful test opens the door to returning large massive objects from orbit.

Tory and ULA hope to use it to make their Vulcan rocket semi-reusable. Vulcan's fuel tanks won't be reusable, but the whole bottom of the rocket will eventually come off and reenter with a LOFTID type heat shield that packs up small for launch, then inflates so that the engines can be reused. (The engines are the most expensive part of the rocket.)

Felix from WAI has video clips from the nasa stream showing the inflation and separation from the Centaur second stage, then of splashdown.

https://twitter.com/FelixSchlang/status/...7349249027

It inflated as planned (they were worried that it might not) and then it survived reentry heating like a champ, splashing down under a parachute in the Pacific off Hawaii, with no visible damage!

Tory has a video clip of it about to be hoisted aboard the recovery ship

https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/159...8226761728

Here's a ULA infrared photograph of it floating in the sea before recovery.


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[Image: FhTz0zFVEAAfFj5?format=jpg&name=large]

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