Inflatable aeroshell decelerators increase drag area during entry to reduce peak heating for _______ payloads.
- Small CubeSats only
- Heavy/large-volume
- Nuclear-powered
- Solar sail
Answer: Heavy/large-volume
Deployable/inflatable heat shields enable delivery of massive payloads to Mars/Venus where rigid aeroshells are volume/mass constrained; tested in LOFTID/IRVE missions.