By 
October 15th, 2022
An artist’s view of a Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) as it cuts through the atmosphere of Mars.
Credit: NASA
Touching safely down on Mars is a true, nail biting event. Those terror gripping, heart-stopping moments of entry, descent, and landing (EDL) after months of cruising to the Red Planet are indeed frightening affairs.
The EDL community is busy at work on fresh ideas on how to breach Mars’ atmosphere, put on the speed brakes, and plop down payloads. One big and new assignment is NASA’s Mars Sample Return project and the challenges that initiative faces.
SpaceX Starship enters Mars’ atmosphere and decelerates aerodynamically.
Credit: SpaceX
Getting down, dirty and securely on Mars remains a delicate balance of technical skill, mixed in with hard-earned luck.
Go to my new Space.com story – “Landing on Mars: Keep straight and fly right for Martian touchdown success” – at:
https://www.space.com/landing-on-mars-challenges-entry-descent
Posted in Space News
