HIAD Inflatable Structure Fabrication and Test

CIRA, ALI Scarl, and Thin Red Line Aerospace have developed a high fidelity 1:2 scale (~2.5m diameter) Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) Engineering Development Unit (EDU). This initial EFESTO heat shield prototype is configured for Earth atmospheric entry—in particular for recovery of the AVUM upper stage of the VEGA launch vehicle.

The unique inflatable decelerator architecture, designed and built by Thin Red Line, was iteratively prototyped, with the final EDU delivered to CIRA for ground testing.

The first tests of the EFESTO Inflatable Structure have been very successful!

The test campaign, carried out in CIRA premises in Italy, is verifying EFESTO inflatable system functionality and procedural methods, Thermal Protection System (TPS) integration, and deployment methodologies for this unique HIAD architecture.

A custom test rig, incorporating a vacuum pool system, was developed to allow the application of structural loads commensurate with the dynamic pressures of atmospheric entry.

Check the press release and the press video (16.27 MB)

The EFESTO project fills a critical technology gap to help consolidate European leadership in space and broaden future space exploration capabilities.

The goal of the H2020 EFESTO Project is to develop large inflatable heatshields that can be compactly folded and stowed within the launcher's fairing constraints, to be subsequently deployed to land large payloads.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 821801.