Deceleration for atmospheric reentry, especially for higher-speed Mars-return missions, benefits from maximizing "the drag area of the entry system. The larger the diameter of the aeroshell, the bigger the payload can be." An inflatable aeroshell provides one alternative for enlarging the drag area with a low-mass design.
Deceleration for atmospher,ic reentry especially for higher-speed Mars-return missions, benefits from maximizing "the drag area of the entry syst.em The larger the diameter of the aeroshell, the bigger the payload can be" An inflatable aeroshell provides one alt.ernative for enlarging the drag area with a low-mass design.