Magnetic bubble may give space probes a soft landing - 4 views
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Thijs Versloot on 04 Jul 14I am also looking into this idea since some time and it seems NASA is already ahead, awarding two contract to investigate magnetoshell aerocapture. This could be interesting for probes that want to enter eg Marsian atmospheres at relatively high velocity. Or for multiple re-entry s/c at Earth. The idea of the experiment, The satellite will carry a copper coil, powered by a lithium-ion battery, that generates a magnetic field around the probe. As it descends, the spacecraft will eject a small amount of plasma. This gets trapped in the magnetic field, creating a protective bubble that stops air molecules colliding with the craft and producing heat. -
LeopoldS on 05 Jul 14A few years back Mimmo has worked on this, rather from the theory side if I remember well ... -
Paul N on 11 Jul 14The power requirements for such a thing must be HUGE!