LOFTID (Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator)

5 Min Read The Heat is On! NASA’s “Flawless” Heat Shield Demo Passes the Test The Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator, or LOFTID, spacecraft is pictured after its atmospheric re-entry test in November 2022. Credits: NASA / Greg Swanson A little more than a year ago, a NASA flight test article came screaming back from space at more than 18,000 mph, reaching temperatures of nearly 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit before gently splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. At that moment, it became the largest blunt body — a…