Balloon Launched Decelerator Test Vehicle

Balloon Launched Decelerator Test Vehicle. . Not a flying saucer, this Balloon Launched Decelerator Test (BLDT) Vehicle was used to test the Viking Mars Lander Decelerator in a simulated atmosphere of Mars. The decelerator system included parachute deployment. The vehicle's structural configuration provided an external envelope which simulated the Viking Lander Capsule in order to qualify the Decelerator in the wake of a blunt body similar to the actual Viking Lander Capsule., The BLDT Vehicle was carried to high altitudes by a helium-filled balloon released at Roswell, New Mexico and drifted west with the prevailing wind as it gained altitude to approximately 120,000 feet (around 22 miles) as it reached White Sands Missile Range. At this point the BLDT Vehicle was released from the balloon, action was initiated to start the vehicle spinning for stability, and solid rockets were ignited. The four rockets, observable on the bottom of the vehicle, propelled the vehicle upward on an arched trajectory to an altitude of approximately 135,000 feet (26 miles). The vehicle speed at this time was approximately 1.2 times the speed of sound. As it neared the peak of its arch, action was initiated to stop the spin, and an explosive charge was detonated, which deployed a large parachute from a compartment in the bottom center of the vehicle. The vehicle then decelerated and floated to the ground where it was recovered., The vehicle displayed here was the second of four tested by NASA at White Sands Missile Range in July and August 1972. This one was launched on July 26, 1972. The entire test lasted almost three hours.