WATCH: NASA’s ‘Flying Saucer’ Takes a Test Flight

NASA‘s “Flying Saucer” goes out for a test flight in the video above. The footage was taken from cameras on the test vehicle during its test flight in Hawaii.


The Flying Saucer, aka the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator or “LDSD,” is one of the latest innovations out of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The voice on the video is that of Ian Clark, principal investigator of the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator.

Discovery News notes that the flying saucer “aced” its test flight. The ultimate goal of this technology is to create a type of inflatable braking system to land heavy payloads on Mars. In a few years, flying saucer tech might be helping Americans step foot on the Red Planet.