BDN Reports on UMaine, NASA research
The Bangor Daily News reported on University of Maine research that could help NASA put humans on Mars. Engineers at UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center are working closely with NASA on the Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator, or HIAD. The HIAD, which is made up of a series of large, inner tube-like inflatable rings, slows a spacecraft as it enters a planet’s atmosphere. The technology may make it possible for a spaceship large enough to carry astronauts and heavy loads of scientific equipment to explore Mars. “It seems like a bit of a leap for a bunch of civil engineers to start working on something that slows down a spacecraft,” said Bill Davids, chair of the UMaine Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and the John C. Bridge Professor. “But at the end of the day, it’s an inflatable fabric structure, and we’ve built a lot of expertise and infrastructure here at this lab around that.” The university is in the third year of a four-year grant to study various inflatable braided fabrics, using a machine provided by NASA, according to the article. “[NASA is] really pushing the envelope all the time; they’re looking for the best materials,” Davids said. Popular Mechanics, Everything Inflatables and WLBZ (Channel 2) also reported on the research.