Author Topic: NASA Hypersonic Inflatable Tech Test Set For Virginia Launch July 21  (Read 29078 times)

Offline jacqmans

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RELEASE: 12-236

NASA HYPERSONIC INFLATABLE TECH TEST SET FOR VIRGINIA LAUNCH JULY 21

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. -- NASA Space Technology Program researchers will
launch and deploy a large inflatable heat shield aboard a rocket
travelling at hypersonic speeds this weekend during a technology
demonstration test from the agency's Wallops Flight Facility on
Wallops Island, Va.

NASA has four consecutive days of launch opportunities for the
agency's Inflatable Re-entry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE-3), starting
July 21, with the liftoff window from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. EDT each day.

The test is designed to demonstrate lightweight, yet strong,
inflatable structures that could become practical tools for
exploration of other worlds or as a way to return items safely to
Earth from the International Space Station. During this technology
demonstration test flight, NASA's IRVE-3 payload will try to re-enter
Earth's atmosphere at hypersonic speeds -- Mach 5, or 3,800 mph to
7,600 mph.

"As we investigate new ways to bring cargo back to Earth from the
International Space Station and innovative ways to land larger
payloads safely on Mars, it's clear we need to invest in new
technologies that will enable these goals," said Michael Gazarik,
director of NASA's Space Technology Program. "IRVE-3 is precisely the
sort of cross-cutting technology NASA's Space Technology Program
should mature to make these future NASA and commercial space
endeavors possible."

The IRVE-3 experiment will fly aboard a three-stage Black Brant XI
launch vehicle for its suborbital flight. The payload and the heat
shield, which looks like a large, uninflated cone of inner tubes,
will be packed inside the rocket's 22-inch-diameter nose cone. About
six minutes after launch, the rocket will climb to an altitude of
about 280 miles over the Atlantic Ocean.

At that point, the 680-pound IRVE-3 will separate from the rocket. An
inflation system similar to air tanks used by scuba divers will pump
nitrogen gas into the IRVE-3 aeroshell until it becomes almost 10
feet in diameter. Instruments on board, including pressure sensors
and heat flux gauges, as well as cameras, will provide data to
engineers on the ground of how well the inflated heat shield performs
during the force and heat of entry into Earth's atmosphere.

After its flight, IRVE-3 will fall into the Atlantic Ocean about 350
miles down range from Wallops. From launch to splash down, the flight
is expected to take approximately 20 minutes.

"We originally came up with this concept because we'd like to be able
to land more mass and access higher altitudes on Mars," said Neil
Cheatwood, IRVE-3 principal investigator at NASA's Langley Research
Center in Hampton, Va. "To do so you need more drag. We're seeking to
maximize the drag area of the entry system. We want to make it as big
as we can. The limitation with current technology has been the launch
vehicle diameter."

Cheatwood and a team of NASA engineers and technicians have spent the
last three years addressing the technical challenges of materials
withstanding the heat created by atmospheric entry and preparing for
the IRVE-3 flight. The team has studied designs, assessed materials
in laboratories and wind tunnels, and subjected hardware to thermal
and pressure loads beyond what the inflatable spacecraft technology
should face during flight.

This test is a follow on to the successful IRVE-2, which showed an
inflatable heat shield could survive intact after coming through
Earth's atmosphere. IRVE-3 is the same size as IRVE-2, but has a
heavier payload and will be subjected to a much higher reentry heat.

IRVE-3 is part of the Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator
(HIAD) Project within the Game Changing Development Program, part of
NASA's Space Technology Program. Langley developed and manages the
IRVE-3 and HIAD projects.

Journalists interested in attending the IRVE-3 launch at NASA's
Wallops Flight Facility should contact Wallops Public Affairs Officer
Keith Koehler at 757-824-1579 or [email protected] to arrange
for media accreditation.

NASA TV will air the IRVE-3 launch live and stream it on the Web at:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about IRVE-3 and the HIAD Project, visit:


http://www.nasa.gov/hiad

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov
Jacques :-)

Offline go4mars

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That is great!  I love it when NASA does stuff like this. 
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Offline catdlr

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Inflatable spacecraft heat shield ready to launch

Published on Jul 18, 2012 by NASALANGLEY

Researchers from NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., will launch and deploy a large inflatable heat shield aboard a rocket traveling at hypersonic speeds during a technology demonstration test from the agency's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va.

The test is designed to demonstrate that lightweight, yet strong, inflatable structures may become practical tools for exploration of other worlds or a way to safely return items from the International Space Station to Earth.

During this technology demonstration test flight, NASA's Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE-3) payload will try to come through Earth's atmosphere at hypersonic speeds -- Mach 5, or 3,800 to 7,600 mph.

« Last Edit: 07/18/2012 08:10 pm by catdlr »
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Offline jacqmans

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MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-136

NASA HYPERSONIC INFLATABLE TECH TEST NOW SET FOR LAUNCH JULY 22

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. -- NASA managers are rescheduling the launch of an
inflatable heat shield technology demonstration flight from the
agency's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va., until no
earlier than Sunday, July 22.

The Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE-3) launch was
postponed for one day to allow for additional testing of launch
vehicle systems. NASA has three consecutive days of launch
opportunities for IRVE-3, with a liftoff window from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.
EDT each day.

IRVE-3 is part of the Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator
(HIAD) Project within the Game Changing Development Program, part of
NASA's Space Technology Program.

Media interested in attending the launch of IRVE-3 should contact
Wallops Public Affairs Officer Keith Koehler at 757-824-1579 or
[email protected] to arrange for media accreditation.

NASA Television will air the IRVE-3 launch live and stream it on the
agency's website at:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about IRVE-3 and the HIAD project, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/hiad
Jacques :-)

Offline Davp99

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This reminds me of the Movie " 2010"  Russian Space Vehicle entering into an Orbit around Jupiter.. ??
You Only Live Twice

Offline Mapperuo

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Postponed to Monday:

Quote
As of 11:40 p.m. on July 21, a launch scrub has been called. The next attempt will be Monday, July 23 with a window of 5-8 a.m.

http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/webcast/


Helpful as I wanted to watch the F1 race today.  :D
- Aaron

Offline manboy

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I'm looking forward to one day seeing this tech used on Mars.  :)
« Last Edit: 12/15/2012 07:58 pm by manboy »
"Cheese has been sent into space before. But the same cheese has never been sent into space twice." - StephenB

Offline Mapperuo

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Commentators are saying there are on board cameras and we should be able to watch the inflation. Certainly sounds worth tuning in for. :)
- Aaron

Offline tehwkd

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Offline tehwkd

Custodian of NextLaunch & LaunchStuff |   Utilizer of Google

Offline John44

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Online Chris Bergin

July 23, 2012

David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington     
202-358-1730
[email protected]

Kathy Barnstorff
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
757-864-9886/757-244-8511
[email protected]

Keith Koehler
Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va.
757-824-1579
[email protected]

RELEASE: 12-250

NASA SUCCESSFULLY TESTS HYPERSONIC INFLATABLE HEAT SHIELD

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. -- A large inflatable heat shield developed by
NASA's Space Technology Program has successfully survived a trip
through Earth's atmosphere while travelling at hypersonic speeds up
to 7,600 mph.

The Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE-3) was launched by
sounding rocket at 7:01 a.m. Monday from NASA's Wallops Flight
Facility on Wallops Island, Va. The purpose of the IRVE-3 test was to
show that a space capsule can use an inflatable outer shell to slow
and protect itself as it enters an atmosphere at hypersonic speed
during planetary entry and descent, or as it returns to Earth with
cargo from the International Space Station.

"It's great to see the initial results indicate we had a successful
test of the hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator," said
James Reuther, deputy director of NASA's Space Technology Program.
"This demonstration flight goes a long way toward showing the value
of these technologies to serve as atmospheric entry heat shields for
future space."

IRVE-3, a cone of uninflated high-tech rings covered by a thermal
blanket of layers of heat resistant materials, launched from a
three-stage Black Brant rocket for its suborbital flight. About 6
minutes into the flight, as planned, the 680-pound inflatable
aeroshell, or heat shield, and its payload separated from the launch
vehicle's 22-inch-diameter nose cone about 280 miles over the
Atlantic Ocean.

An inflation system pumped nitrogen into the IRVE-3 aeroshell until it
expanded to a mushroom shape almost 10 feet in diameter. Then the
aeroshell plummeted at hypersonic speeds through Earth's atmosphere.
Engineers in the Wallops control room watched as four onboard cameras
confirmed the inflatable shield held its shape despite the force and
high heat of reentry. Onboard instruments provided temperature and
pressure data. Researchers will study that information to help
develop future inflatable heat shield designs.

After its flight, IRVE-3 fell into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of
North Carolina. From launch to splashdown, the flight lasted about 20
minutes. A high-speed U.S. Navy Stiletto boat is in the area with a
crew that will attempt to retrieve IRVE-3. The Stiletto is a maritime
demonstration craft operated by the Naval Surface Warfare Center
Carderock, Combatant Craft Division, and is based at Joint
Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Ft Story, Va.

"A team of NASA engineers and technicians spent the last three years
preparing for the IRVE-3 flight," said Lesa Roe, director of NASA's
Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. "We are pushing the
boundaries with this flight. We look forward to future test launches
of even bigger inflatable aeroshells."

This test was a follow-on to the successful IRVE-2, which showed an
inflatable heat shield could survive intact after coming through
Earth's atmosphere. IRVE-3 was the same size as IRVE-2, but had a
heavier payload and was subjected to a much higher re-entry heat,
more like what a heat shield might encounter in space.

IRVE-3 is part of the Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator
(HIAD) Project within the Game Changing Development Program, part of
NASA's Space Technology Program. Langley developed and manages the
IRVE-3 and HIAD programs.

For more information about IRVE-3 and the HIAD Project, go to:

http://www.nasa.gov/hiad

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov


-end-

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Offline Artyom.

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Offline Lurker Steve

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This 10-ft ring weighed 680 lbs.

What would a standard ablative (PICA or similar) heat-shield of equilavent size weight ?

Offline block51

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Congrats to everyone involved on the IRVE III / Cheatwood 39.011 project!

I was able to wake up a bit early and catch the launch from WFF island. Due to a very low ceiling we were only able to see about the first 2 or 3 seconds of first stage burn. I did, however, manage to see the first stage impact the ocean. I've attached some pictures that a coworker took.

Offline go4mars

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Congratulations NASA! 
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Offline Prober

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Congrats IRVE team !!!
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Offline savuporo

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From the video, it seemed to hit about 285 miles apogee, Black Brant has some serious power.
Congrats on a good test !
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Offline corrodedNut

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Congrats!

In case anybody was wondering what "a high-speed U.S. Navy Stiletto boat" is, it's this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M80_Stiletto

Kinda bad-ass recovery ship.

Offline kirghizstan

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Congrats!

In case anybody was wondering what "a high-speed U.S. Navy Stiletto boat" is, it's this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M80_Stiletto

Kinda bad-ass recovery ship.

One of my first thoughts about this earlier this morning was...  "that would be perfectfor spacex recovery if they wanted to go with the whole dr. no/evil joke."

On a more serious note, did they have to choose the Stiletto because they had only a vague idea where the craft would reenter and the Stiletto's speed gave them a huge range for recovery?  Or do the Navy SEALS just have the day off so they decided to loan out one of their babies. ;)
« Last Edit: 07/23/2012 03:30 pm by kirghizstan »

Offline douglas100

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Glad it went well. Anyone know if it was successfully recovered?
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Offline neilh

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Congrats!

In case anybody was wondering what "a high-speed U.S. Navy Stiletto boat" is, it's this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M80_Stiletto

Kinda bad-ass recovery ship.

One of my first thoughts about this earlier this morning was...  "that would be perfectfor spacex recovery if they wanted to go with the whole dr. no/evil joke."

On a more serious note, did they have to choose the Stiletto because they had only a vague idea where the craft would reenter and the Stiletto's speed gave them a huge range for recovery?  Or do the Navy SEALS just have the day off so they decided to loan out one of their babies. ;)

I also wonder if the Stiletto's interior sea-level dock (not sure what you call it) can be used to retrieve the heat shield from the water directly, without having to lift it with a crane.
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Offline BrightLight

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Does anyone know the condition of the payload now that it back?

Offline Rocket Science

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My favorite inflatable, Moose... Woohoo! Enjoy the ride! ;D

http://www.astronautix.com/craft/moose.htm


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Offline block51

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As of some time yesterday afternoon they hadn't recovered it yet. I'll ask around and see what I can find out though.

Offline Prober

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My favorite inflatable, Moose... Woohoo! Enjoy the ride! ;D

http://www.astronautix.com/craft/moose.htm




signs Rocket Science up for the Moose test program 
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Offline BrightLight

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As of some time yesterday afternoon they hadn't recovered it yet. I'll ask around and see what I can find out though.
Thanks!
This is a great piece of technology if we can get payload back to the surface intact!!
very exciting.

Offline Rocket Science

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My favorite inflatable, Moose... Woohoo! Enjoy the ride! ;D

http://www.astronautix.com/craft/moose.htm




signs Rocket Science up for the Moose test program 
Thanks! ;D

I’ll see if I can fit it in my shooting schedule. I’m Buster’s stunt double on Mythbusters… :D
« Last Edit: 07/24/2012 03:55 pm by Rocket Science »
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Offline block51

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As of some time yesterday afternoon they hadn't recovered it yet. I'll ask around and see what I can find out though.
Thanks!
This is a great piece of technology if we can get payload back to the surface intact!!
very exciting.

I've heard from an engineer on the project on the wallops side (well, contractor... point is not an engineer on the Langley team) they didn't find it and they aren't going to unless it washes up at this point. The surveillance plane spotted what they thought was it looking and directed them towards something but it ended up being part of or all of a derelict sailboat.

After talking with some people on the project, recovery wasn't a primary objective so they aren't too upset by it. Also, I can confirm that in the mission readiness review document it was not listed as a requirement under minimum or comprehensive success.

Offline plutogno

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IRVE was apparently initially designed "to enable the exploration of higher-altitude terrain on Mars" (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22094-inflatable-spacecraft-makes-successful-splash-landing.html)
any reference for this?
also, have a look at this very cool prez, with lots of technical details http://www.planetaryprobe.org/SessionFiles/Session6B/Presentations/7_Dillman_IRVE-3.pdf

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As of some time yesterday afternoon they hadn't recovered it yet. I'll ask around and see what I can find out though.
Thanks!
This is a great piece of technology if we can get payload back to the surface intact!!
very exciting.

I've heard from an engineer on the project on the wallops side (well, contractor... point is not an engineer on the Langley team) they didn't find it and they aren't going to unless it washes up at this point. The surveillance plane spotted what they thought was it looking and directed them towards something but it ended up being part of or all of a derelict sailboat.

After talking with some people on the project, recovery wasn't a primary objective so they aren't too upset by it. Also, I can confirm that in the mission readiness review document it was not listed as a requirement under minimum or comprehensive success.

Thanks, and for the great pics.

Congrats to NASA. This is a great technology demonstrator.

Offline jcm

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IRVE was apparently initially designed "to enable the exploration of higher-altitude terrain on Mars" (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22094-inflatable-spacecraft-makes-successful-splash-landing.html)
any reference for this?
also, have a look at this very cool prez, with lots of technical details http://www.planetaryprobe.org/SessionFiles/Session6B/Presentations/7_Dillman_IRVE-3.pdf

Great link, thanks!
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Offline plutogno

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jcm, thanks for having included the reentry speed of the inflatable reentry tests so far in your latest space report. it gives an idea of how much work remains to be done.
you mention IRVE-3 reentry speed at about 2.7 km/s, which is much less than needed for LEO rentry (7 km/s), Mars landing (6-7 km/s) or hyperbolic reentry to Earth (>10 km/s)

Offline Fuji

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Congratulation NASA.

JAXA also setting similar flight test Aug. 8th using S-310-41 rocket.
Originally, launch date is setting July 10th. But heavy rain cause the launch delay due to landslides in the Uchinoura space center.


Reentry Demonstration Plan of Flare-type Membrane Aeroshell for Atmospheric Entry Vehicle using a Sounding Rocket
http://gd.isas.jaxa.jp/~kzyamada/MAAC/2011/publication/2011_0525_AIAA-S-MAAC.pdf




Offline BrightLight

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jcm, thanks for having included the reentry speed of the inflatable reentry tests so far in your latest space report. it gives an idea of how much work remains to be done.
you mention IRVE-3 reentry speed at about 2.7 km/s, which is much less than needed for LEO rentry (7 km/s), Mars landing (6-7 km/s) or hyperbolic reentry to Earth (>10 km/s)
Additional information extracted from Aviation Week:
tag date July 24, 2012

"The 680-lb. flight demonstration payload lifted off at 7:01 a.m. EDT from Wallops Flight Facility atop a three-stage Black Brant sounding rocket that carried it to an altitude of 253 nm, where its onboard control system flipped it over and inflated its concentric-ring structure with nitrogen into a 10-ft.-dia. aeroshell covered with a four-layer thermal blanket.

The blanket — an outer layer of ceramic-fiber Nextel, two layers of silica Pyrogel and a gas barrier to prevent burnthrough — protected the inflated structure as it re-entered the atmosphere at speeds on the order of Mach 10, which generated outer temperatures of about 1000F and mechanical loading of about 20 gs.

“We saw actually a more energetic entry than we were expecting,” Cheatwood said in a post-flight press conference. “We saw about 15 watts per centimeter squared of heating. But our thermocouples actually showed a little bit lower temperatures than we would expect in response to that.” "

IMHO This is a very impressive step forward towards a lightweight, low volume/mass re-entry system. A ways to go to get to orbital re-entry but a well sized step nonetheless!

Offline catdlr

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...and now for the video results of the test flight

Inflatables in space

Published on Dec 14, 2012
Published:  NASA LANGLEY
Three years of their hard work plunged in the Atlantic Ocean in summer of 2012 and a group of NASA Langley engineers could not have been more thrilled.

They were part of the Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE-3) team that is working to develop an inflatable heat shield. The technology could be used to protect spacecraft when entering a planet's atmosphere or returning here to Earth.

Watch as a 22-inch diameter rocket launches the IRVE 290 miles up and an inflation system pumps up its rings so it expands to 10 feet in diameter. Check out the Earth in the background as the inflatable heat shield reenters the atmosphere at speeds of Mach 10, then falls into the sea.

« Last Edit: 12/14/2012 09:22 pm by catdlr »
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Offline A_M_Swallow

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"The 680-lb. flight demonstration payload lifted off at 7:01 a.m. EDT from Wallops Flight Facility atop a three-stage Black Brant sounding rocket that carried it to an altitude of 253 nm, where its onboard control system flipped it over and inflated its concentric-ring structure with nitrogen into a 10-ft.-dia. aeroshell covered with a four-layer thermal blanket.

{snip}

Assuming that a test payload is smaller than a real payload, how big a payload is the inflatable heat shield designed to take?

Offline deltaV

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The surveillance plane spotted what they thought was it looking and directed them towards something but it ended up being part of or all of a derelict sailboat.

I would have thought the payload would tell them exactly where it is via GPS and satellite communication. Why did they resort to an expensive and ineffective surveillance plane?

Offline solartear

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"The 680-lb. flight demonstration payload lifted off at 7:01 a.m. EDT from Wallops Flight Facility atop a three-stage Black Brant sounding rocket that carried it to an altitude of 253 nm, where its onboard control system flipped it over and inflated its concentric-ring structure with nitrogen into a 10-ft.-dia. aeroshell covered with a four-layer thermal blanket.

{snip}

Assuming that a test payload is smaller than a real payload, how big a payload is the inflatable heat shield designed to take?

http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/home/feature_irve3.html is somewhat vague, but gives a rough estimate.
Quote
That initiative could make possible returning several metric tons back to Earth from the International Space Station, making use of an aeroshell of some 26 feet to 32 feet (7.9 meters to 9.8 meters) in diameter.

Offline russianhalo117

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The surveillance plane spotted what they thought was it looking and directed them towards something but it ended up being part of or all of a derelict sailboat.

I would have thought the payload would tell them exactly where it is via GPS and satellite communication. Why did they resort to an expensive and ineffective surveillance plane?
partially due to communications blackout period typical of reentering SC.

Offline deltaV

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I would have thought the payload would tell them exactly where it is via GPS and satellite communication. Why did they resort to an expensive and ineffective surveillance plane?
partially due to communications blackout period typical of reentering SC.

That would delay the communication by a few minutes, but why couldn't it report in after it hit the water?

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