Inflatable spaceship set for test flight

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SUMMARY

The inflatable lifeboat prototype, weighing 130 kilograms, is designed for cargo retrieval from the International Space Station (ISS) and has potential applications for astronaut evacuation and robotic delivery to Mars. The test flights scheduled for next month will assess its performance, particularly focusing on its heat-resistant coating to withstand atmospheric re-entry. Concerns have been raised regarding the reliability of its expansion mechanism and the functionality of its secondary inflatable component during descent.

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An inflatable lifeboat could one day ferry stranded astronauts back to Earth, if a prototype's test flights are successful next month.

The re-entry vehicle weighs just 130 kilograms and is being developed to carry cargo back from the International Space Station (ISS). But its inventors believe that it could also let astronauts bail out of the space station, or deliver robots to the surface of Mars. [continued]

http://www.nature.com/news/2004/040830/full/040830-8.html
 
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I like this idea, but I still see some problems. It appears that the initial speed when hitting the atmosphere creates some high heat. They seem to have a solution in the heat resistant coating. If it should fail to expand, or if the second inflatable part should fail to open and slow its descent...oh well.

I would be interested to know how it performs.
 

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