NASA engineers in the 1960s had a visionary plan to explore the giant planets of our solar system using small lifting-body aircraft. These aircraft would be dropped into the atmosphere of a giant planet, gathering data as they glided down. Although it would be a one-way trip leading to destruction, the unique design of these aircraft would allow them to navigate different atmospheric layers, transmitting valuable data back to a parent satellite. Fast forward to today, and an updated version of this 1960s design is currently being tested at NASA, with a drop-test flight from a helicopter scheduled for this month.

The principal investigator at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, John Bodylski, spoke about the importance of this project, stating, “We are looking to take an idea to flight and show that a lifting body aircraft can fly as a probe at this scale – that it can be stable, that components can be integrated into the probe, and that the aircraft can achieve some amount of lift.” Bodylski and his team aim to demonstrate that a lifting body aircraft design could meet the requirements for an atmospheric probe that could be utilized at giant planets like Uranus or Jupiter.

The concept behind these lifting body aircraft is that they rely on their unique blunt shape for lift, eliminating the need for traditional wings. Two lifting body aircraft have been designed by the team, each measuring around 70 cm in length and 60 cm in width. One of these aircraft is nearly complete and ready for flight testing.

NASA has a rich history of testing lifting bodies, dating back to the 1960s. Various designs, such as the M2-F1, M2-F2, HL-10, X-20, X-24A, and X-24B, were tested to demonstrate the ability to maneuver and safely land a wingless vehicle. These tests were crucial in validating the concept of flying a vehicle back to Earth from space and landing it like an aircraft. While the Space Shuttle faced challenges, planetary scientists in the 1960s recognized the potential of using lifting body designs for smaller uncrewed probes.

Current atmospheric probes, such as CubeSats, can gather data for only about 40 minutes before losing contact with their parent satellite. In contrast, Bodylski estimates that the lifting body design could descend more rapidly and collect the same information in just 10 minutes, while also gathering additional data from deeper within a planet’s thick atmosphere for an additional 30 minutes.

While lifting bodies have had their ups and downs over the years, with projects like the Dyna Soar and VentureStar facing cancellation, the current project led by Bodylski shows promise in revitalizing this concept for planetary exploration. The innovative design and capabilities of these lifting body aircraft could open new avenues for studying the giant planets of our solar system.

As the drop-test flight approaches, the team at NASA is eagerly anticipating the results of this groundbreaking experiment. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting project as we push the boundaries of aerospace innovation and exploration.