NASA has done the first successful test of an inflatable reentry heat shield, a potential precursor for heavy-landing Mars aeroshells:<br><br><a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/19/inflatable-shield.html">http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/19/inflatable-shield.html</a><br>
<br>- Thomas<br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>______________________________________<br><br>Thomas Coffee<br>Massachusetts Institute of Technology<br>Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics<br>Space Systems Laboratory<br>
617.549.5492<br>______________________________________<br>