NASA tested a UFO-like spacecraft

The US Aeronautics Agency (NASA) is about to test the type of spacecraft shaped like a flying saucer, a new medium that can be used in missions to study Mars.

Image of simulating the LDSD spacecraft in the test flight journey.(Photo: NASA)

UPI said the LDSD spacecraft will depart its first test flight from the Pacific missile facility (PMRF) in Kauai, Hawaii, tomorrow.

The LDSD will be taken to the stratosphere, which has atmospheric conditions similar to Mars, with a hot air balloon, and freed altitude over 36,000km. At this time, four small rocket engines will burst and push the spacecraft's rotation. When stable, LDSD will be launched into space by solid fuel boosters.

According to experts, the spacecraft will have a maximum speed of Mach 4 (about 1,370m / s) and reach a height of 55,000km. When the speed drops to Mach 2.5, a supersonic parachute will be released from the spacecraft. If successful, this will be the largest umbrella ever flying in the air.

The LDSD is a new innovative method used in research tasks with large payloads on Mars and other objects in the solar system. Two test flights are expected to be deployed next year. LDSD research and improvement activities will be carried out before being ready for the journey to Mars.