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HomeTech/ScienceNASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) second test flight set for Tuesday, June...

NASA’s Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) second test flight set for Tuesday, June 2nd

Written by DC Agle
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationPasadena, CA – The second flight test of NASA’s Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) now will launch no earlier than 10:30am PDT (1:30pm EDT, or 7:30am HST) Tuesday, June 2nd, from the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on Kauai, Hawaii. NASA Television coverage will begin at 10:00am PDT (1:00pm EDT, or 7:00am HST).

To accommodate prevailing weather conditions, mission managers moved the launch window one hour earlier to increase the probability of LDSD launching on time.

This artist's concept shows the test vehicle for NASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD), designed to test landing technologies for future Mars missions. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
This artist’s concept shows the test vehicle for NASA’s Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD), designed to test landing technologies for future Mars missions. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

NASA’s LDSD project is designed to investigate and test breakthrough technologies for landing future robotic and human Mars missions and safely returning large payloads to Earth.

The test, performed over the Pacific Ocean, will simulate the supersonic entry and descent speeds at which the spacecraft would be traveling through the Martian atmosphere.

As part of an LDSD media day on Monday, June 1st at PMRF, a mission overview briefing at 8:00am HST (11:00am PDT, or 2:00pm EDT) will be broadcast live on NASA TV and online at:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2

During the Q&A portion, briefing participants will include answers to questions submitted to the Ustream chat box or via Twitter using the #askNASA hashtag.

NASA’s LDSD program is part of the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate in Washington, which innovates, develops, tests and flies hardware for NASA’s future missions.

For more information about NASA’s investment in space technology, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech

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