All Questions
3
questions
5
votes
1
answer
285
views
Has there ever been an attempt or serious consideration for spacecraft to land on Mars without an ablative-type heat shield?
My answer to Do exploration spacecraft enter Mars atmosphere against Mars rotation, or on the same direction? lauds the use of ablative heat shields for minimizing radiative heating of a spacecraft by ...
- 149k
1
vote
1
answer
371
views
Could an inflatable heat shield be used on the SpaceX Mars Lander?
Could light weight inflatable heat shields be used like parachutes from NASA to increase surface area for the SpaceX Mars lander further decreasing velocity? Where would be the best placement of them? ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
289
views
Could a reentry powered monorail and flywheel make a kinetic engine for lift?
On reentry could a flywheel spin on a magnetic bearing creating a centrifugal force to keep the ship level whilst creating a plasma air pocket from the pits in the rotating heat shield? This would ...
- 1