Space Force's X-37B spacecraft conducts trials with 'Zylon' material to facilitate Mars crew and cargo landings
The X-37B, NASA's reusable spaceplane, embarked on its eighth mission on August 21, carrying a range of advanced technologies designed for potential applications in space exploration and Mars missions.
Aboard the X-37B was a laser communications system, a more precise and resilient alternative to GPS, known as the highest-performing quantum inertial sensor ever tested. This sensor aims to provide data for future space missions, offering a more accurate navigation system.
In addition, the spaceplane carried a strip of Zylon, a strong synthetic polymer developed by SRI International. Zylon webbing is being considered for use in NASA's Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD), a technology being developed for potential use in landing crew and cargo on Mars.
The study aims to provide data on the long-term packing of a HIAD for potential Mars missions. NASA is researching the effects of long-term exposure to space on Zylon material, comparing samples that were flown in the X-37B with those that remained on Earth. The samples on the X-37B were packed using two different techniques: one in which the material is tightly coiled, and another in which it was "stuffed in."
The X-37B was carried by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After its mission, the LOFTID, a HIAD technology demonstrator, deployed from its Centaur upper stage, inflated at around 78 miles (125 km) up, and successfully reentered Earth's atmosphere, landing in the Pacific Ocean around 500 miles (800 km) from Hawaii.
Robert Mosher, a researcher working at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany, is closely following the research on Zylon's behaviour in space. The findings from this mission could pave the way for future space missions, including potential Mars missions, by providing valuable insights into the durability and performance of Zylon under long-term space conditions.
The X-37B, with its ability to send materials and experiments to space and study them upon their return to Earth, continues to play a significant role in NASA's research and development efforts. As the spacecraft continues its mission, scientists eagerly await the results of the Zylon and quantum inertial sensor experiments, which could revolutionize space travel and exploration.
