The Inflatable Concept Aeroshell for the Recovery of a re-Usable launcher Stage ( ICARUS) received €15 million EU funding to create an inflatable heat shield for rocket stage recovery and spacecraft landing on Mars.
NASA has also explored similar technology with successful projects like the Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Demonstrator (HIAD) and the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID).
The ICARUS consortium, led by Elecnor Deimos, will go through three phases: design, launch of a demonstrator on a sounding rocket, and post-flight data analysis.
DLR-Moraba is a key partner in the ICARUS project, responsible for flight test campaign design, rocket customization, and flight campaign management.
[
Collection
]
[
|
...
]