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NASA ‘Flying Saucer’ Spacecraft Launched After Days Of Weather Delays

By Aaron Homer
Published on: 01:52 PST, Jun 9, 2015

After several days of weather-related delays, NASA launched a test flight of its so-called “Flying Saucer” spacecraft, MSN is reporting.

The Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator, nicknamed the “flying saucer” because of its similar shape to the classic “flying saucer” of UFO lore, is designed to someday carry cargo, and possibly passengers, to Mars.

At 1:45 p.m. Eastern Time Monday, NASA launched the flying saucer from the Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, according to Fox News. A helium balloon carried the spacecraft to an altitude of 120,000 feet. From there, a series of rockets carried the flying saucer another 60,000 feet.

NASA spokesperson Steve Jurczyk explains why the flying saucer had to be taken up so high.

“We go to that high altitude because it simulates the atmospheric conditions on Mars. Mars has a very thin atmosphere.”

After reaching its intended altitude, the flying saucer was dropped for a controlled descent back to Earth. Had everything gone according to plan, a doughnut-shaped airbag, called a Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (SIAD), as well as a giant parachute, would have deployed, according to a description of the mission via MSN.

“Traveling at three times the speed of sound, the saucer’s decelerator will inflate, slowing the vehicle, and then a parachute will deploy at 2.35 times the speed of sound to carry it to the ocean’s surface.”

Unfortunately, the parachute deployed, but failed to inflate (that is, fully expand and catch the air beneath it) properly, and shredded as it fell through the atmosphere.

NASA released video of the flying saucer’s mission. At 2:47 in the video below, you can see the parachute deploy. Seconds later, it rips to shreds, to the audible groans of disappointment from mission controllers on the ground.

This is the second time a parachute malfunction has doomed a “flying saucer” test flight: last year, the spacecraft’s parachute failed to deploy properly, as well.

Despite the second parachute failure in two tries, NASA still considers Monday’s “flying saucer” mission a success. Once the spacecraft is recovered from the Pacific Ocean, researchers will study it to find out what went wrong.

As of this post, NASA has not announced when it will attempt another test flight of its “flying saucer” spacecraft.

[Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]

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