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NASA's Mars 'flying saucer' is ready for its next test (update)
If you need something to watch that's not Apple related, the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator(LDSD) that NASA hopes will help Mars missions land safely is about to undertake its next test. After more than a week of delays caused by bad weather, the saucer shaped vehicle will launch at about 1:30PM ET. After that, it's in for a three hour wait to reach an altitude of 120,000 feet before it's dropped and the rocket-powered portion of its trip will begin. Once it reaches Mach 3, the Decelerator's inflatable "drag devices" will deploy, slowing things down enough for it to deploy a parachute, and then land in the ocean. Check out the live stream embedded after the break (plus a clip from its test last fall), and we'll update you on its progress throughout the day. Update: The craft is almost to its 120,000 foot release height, where it will drop from the balloon and fire its rocket to climb even higher, which is scheduled to happen at about 5:35PM ET. Update 2 (5:42PM): As you can see from the live stream after the break, the rocket-powered flight went off as scheduled, however the redesigned supersonic parachute failed again.
NASA pushes back its latest flying saucer test
NASA's not having an easy time testing the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator that should eventually put big payloads on Mars. The agency has scrubbed all test flights this weekend due to weather, and now won't take the flying saucer-like balloon for a spin until June 8th at the earliest. The low-altitude wind is simply too rough, NASA says. The setback isn't completely shocking (the LDSD is often at the mercy of its environment by its nature), but it's disappointing if you were hoping to witness NASA's futuristic craft in action.
The Big Picture: Recovering NASA's flying saucer
Despite Independence Day being right around the corner, what you're seeing up above shouldn't get your hopes up about welcoming any aliens to Earth. Besides, everyone knows that the government would likely never release pictures of that sort of thing anyhow. What's pictured is actually the result of NASA's first Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) test-flight that took place over the weekend, and the image was captured a few hours after the vessel touched down over the US Navy's Pacific Missile Test Range. Currently there are plans to test the aerospace outfit's not-a-UFO at least two more times ahead of its ultimate goal: a trip to Mars. [Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech]
NASA readies Mars 'flying saucer' for risky hypersonic flight test
The wispy atmosphere of Mars is 99 percent thinner than Earth's -- not great for slowing down space ships or metorites. NASA's testing a way to make it work, however, using a helium balloon, rockets and a Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) vehicle, which looks suspiciously like a UFO. The plan is to launch the LDSD to 120,000 feet using the balloon, then push it to the edge of space (180,000 feet) with the powerful solid-fueled rocket. At that point it'll be traveling hypersonically at Mach 4 in the stratosphere, simulating a Mars arrival. A second, donut-like balloon called the "supersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator" will then deploy, increasing the craft's surface area and slowing it to about Mach 2.5. Finally, the largest supersonic parachute ever tested will pop, allowing the vehicle to eventually touch down in the ocean. If the complex plan goes awry, NASA will learn from the data it gathers and try again in order to meet its ambitious Mars exploration schedule. Either way, it'll be fun to watch -- the launch is set for tomorrow in Hawaii between 2:00 and 3:30 PM ET.
Flying saucer blimp that can haul 150 tons at a time? Yes, please
A company in Australia is trying to increase the load that flying vehicles can carry through the air and we have to say, we think they might be onto something awesome. Skylifter's flying saucer shaped disc concept is 500 feet across, and could haul about 150 tons of cargo across long distances of about 1,500 miles. The proposed capacity is nearly 700 times what a helicopter designed for hauling can safely carry. The disc shape helps the craft to be less susceptible to winds, and it will also be easier to steer. The company already has a 10-foot prototype built, and hopes to have the actual crafts ready some time in the next three years.
Engineer aims to create plasma-powered micro air vehicle
Watch out, battery-powered MAVs -- your viability could be seriously in danger. Based on a patent application from University of Florida aerospace engineer Subrata Roy, he's reckoning that a micro air vehicle could be propelled by plasma. Scientists have known that passing a current or magnetic field through a conducting fluid generates a force, but exploiting it for use in moving an aircraft has proven futile thus far. The phenomenon, simply known as magnetohydrodynamics, has typically been tested on larger crafts, but Mr. Roy's invention would boast a wingspan of less than 15-centimeters and resemble a flying saucer more so than a 747. Of course, this fantastic idea has yet to become much more than just that, but for armed forces and entities obsessed with surveillance, this could undoubtedly be big.
Grand Challenge seeks to boost robotic prowess of British military
From what we've seen, the British military is pretty savvy on its robotics. Apparently mechanical beings aren't integrated enough, however, as the British Ministry of Defense has launched its first ever Grand Challenge, which "encourages participants to turn their ideas into prototypes for machines the army can use in urban environments." The six finalists that were chosen each received around $600,000 in order to construct their contraptions, and this August, we'll see an unmanned buggy that can analyze a gunman's movements, a self-propelled, remote-controlled camera and minuscule helicopters used for reconnaissance missions. Best of all, these creations won't just be propped up on some shiny display -- oh no, they'll be taking part in a mock battle in Copehill Down, with even more loot and an enviable trophy on the line.
French Taser chief hints at flying shockbot
According to a recent report, the French head of stun-gun maker Taser has plans to create a "mini-flying saucer like drone which could also fire Taser stun rounds on criminal suspects or rioting crowds." Antoine di Zazzo, fervent proselytizer of the electroshock weapon, is cutting through the is / isn't torture noise of recent UN reports with the news that the non-lethal device is about to make a serious splash in France, with president Nicolas Sarkozy promising to hand one to every policeman and gendarme. Of course, once di Zazzo's army of tiny, hovering stun machines take to the air -- sometime next year -- the police probably won't have to worry about brandishing their weapons.[Thanks, Craig B.]
