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Inflatable heat shield survives hypersonic stress test

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July 24 - An experimental heat shield developed by NASA has survived a trip through Earth's atmosphere while travelling at hypersonic speeds up to 7,600 mph (12,231 kph). In a test flight, the Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE-3) successfully demonstrated that an inflatable outer shell can protect a space capsule as it enters an atmosphere during planetary entry and descent, or as it returns to Earth with cargo from the International Space Station. Rob Muir reports.