ARES Home ARES Science ARES Platform Reliability and Risk Reduction Program Images and Movies ARES Team

ARES Dynamic Tests

ARES heat shield release over Mars  ARES aircraft ejection over Mars  ARES aircraft release over Mars
After entering Mars' atmosphere and decelerating to subsonic speeds under its large parachute, the ARES Entry Vehicle releases its protective forward heat shield. The ARES Airplane Ejection System ensures that the folded airplane is released safely from the backshell so it can begin its science mission over Mars.


In the Summer and Fall of 2004, Langley Research Center conducted dozens of dynamic tests using a 1/3 scale model of the ARES Airplane Ejection System. A simple, but properly weighted mass was used to represent the airplane as it was ejected.

ARES scale model in wind tunnel


ARES scale model in wind tunnel You can watch a short slow-motion movie of one of the tests by going to the Videos section of our Multimedia page.


ARES Home ARES Science ARES Platform Reliability and Risk Reduction Program Images and Movies ARES Team

Principal Investigator: Dr. Joel S. Levine (j.s.levine@larc.nasa.gov)

Responsible NASA Official: Dr. Joel S. Levine (j.s.levine@larc.nasa.gov)
Web Site Curator: Garry Qualls (g.d.qualls@larc.nasa.gov)
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Page last updated January 5, 2007