Fraser Cain on Nostr: Using the atmosphere of a planet to slow your spacecraft down is kind of like a free ...

Using the atmosphere of a planet to slow your spacecraft down is kind of like a free ride, going from interplanetary velocity to mere terminal velocity. But slamming a spacecraft into the atmosphere generates a wall of plasma that can destroy your vehicle without a protective heat shield. Researchers are concentrating solar energy with hundreds of mirrors to blast the surfaces of heat shield prototypes, learning how they'd perform in different atmospheres.

https://newsreleases.sandia.gov/aerospace_testing-2/