LOFTID soared into space and back again Thursday (Nov. 10), splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on a crucial test of aeroshell technology for human Mars missions.
The LOFTID mission tested a novel approach to guiding spacecraft through the extreme heat of returning from orbit, which could be used to put people on Mars.
Through a public-private partnership with United Launch Alliance, NASA will test an inflatable heat shield, a futuristic new piece of hardware it would need to land astronauts on Mars. If it weren't for Bernard Kutter, it might not have happened.