NASA Is Testing A New Way To Crash Land On Mars

Engineers have safely landed spacecraft on Mars nine times. But now they're investigating whether crash landing is the best way to reach the Red Planet.

By Caitlyn Buongiorno
Oct 27, 2022 6:00 PMOct 27, 2022 6:10 PM
SHIELD label
SHIELD, seen here in this artist's concept, is a potential alternative approach to the costly entry, descent, and landing strategies currently use by NASA to get spacecraft safely to the surface of Mars. (Credit: California Academy of Sciences)

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NASA has always taken great care when it comes to touching down on Mars, relying on parachutes, airbags, and even jetpacks to ensure their spacecraft safely reach the surface. This method has worked for them nine times in the past. But now, an experimental lander is looking to try a more hard-hitting approach. 

Instead of slowing the craft’s descent, SHIELD — which stands for Simplified High Impact Energy Landing Device — would act like the crumple zone of a car, absorbing much of the energy of a hard impact. This method would work thanks to SHIELD's accordion-like, collapsible base.

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