PIA18017: LDSD's Rocket-powered Test Vehicle
This artist's concept shows the test vehicle for NASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD), designed to test landing technologies for future Mars missions.
 Mission:  LDSD 
 Product Size:  2036 x 3060 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  JPL 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA18017.tif (18.7 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA18017.jpg (405.1 kB)  

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Original Caption Released with Image:

This artist's concept shows the test vehicle for NASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD), designed to test landing technologies for future Mars missions. A balloon will lift the vehicle to high altitudes, where a rocket will take it even higher, to the top of the stratosphere, at several times the speed of sound.

The Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator Project is managed by JPL for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate in Washington.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Image Addition Date:
2014-06-02