Sophisticated Balloons Could Help Steer Spacecraft

coondoggie writes "Getting spacecraft traveling at hypersonic speeds to slow down and land or achieve a particular orbit on a dime is no easy feat. But researchers are developing a tool that will let engineers model and ultimately build advanced flight control systems that meld balloon and parachute technologies known as a ballute (BALLoon-parachUTE). Basically a ballute is a large, inflatable device that takes advantage of atmospheric drag to decelerate and capture a spacecraft into orbit around a planet, according to NASA who is funding Global Aerospace to build such a tool."

Comments

Re:So many options

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd have called it Paraloon.

Or possibly Ballachute.

Especially since "Balut" is a south-east Asian food where an almost-fully developed duck embryo is cooked in its shell, pealed, and eaten whole. It routinely makes "World's most disgusting foods" lists.