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This Umbrella Doesn’t Protect Against Rain…

We put a man on the moon… now its time to put a man on Mars. NASA has spent millions on developing a heat shield designed specifically to get astronauts on the surface of the red planet. This umbrella-shaped device was just launched for its first round of testing on September 12th, 2018. Dubbed “ADEPT,” the acronym stands for the Adaptable Deployment Entry Placement Technology. I’m not sure what any of that has to do with heat, but it’s a cool name nonetheless.

So how does it work? The umbrella stays shriveled up in rocket caps as the machines are launched into space. As they approach new atmospheres, the umbrella deploys. Its design allows it to cover a larger space than any previous shields; now, cargo and payloads are being shipped to the red planet in preparation for a new drone/rover to launch in 2020. The goal, eventually, is that human astronauts will be able to land on the planet successfully in 2033.

The material for the umbrella is carbon fiber stretched over an articulate frame that’s 28 inches when expanded. NASA’s goal is to eventually be able to test the umbrella at high-orbital speeds, but it will be a gradual process over the next ten years.

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