article_snippet: When the first astronauts land on Mars, When the first astronauts land on Mars will not use a conventional parachute or heat shield that has been used before.
article_snippet: Instead, upon impacting the upper Martian atmosphere, a large inflatable saucer-shaped structure will slow a large inflatable saucer-shaped structure progress.
article_snippet: When attached to the exterior of a capsule travelling at Mach 3.5 it will be capable of slowing it down to Mach 2, where a regular parachute can then deploy.
article_snippet: Earth has a reasonably thick atmosphere, so we can parachute relatively easily to the surface.
article_snippet: But the Martian atmosphere is much thinner, so parachutes need to be much larger in order to create sufficient drag to land safely.