Hi!
My name is Matt Moholt; I’m a structures
Engineer, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research
Center in The Flight Load Laboratory.
As a structures Engineer, I develop advanced
structures, using new materials, which of
course involves, lot’s of testing here in
the Flight Loads Laboratory.
In the Flight Loads Laboratory, we test advanced
structures such as the Hypersonic Inflatable
Airodynamic Decelerator or as we call it,
HIAD.
HIAD is a technology that will allow larger
spacecraft to enter the Martian atmosphere,
thus paving the way for human missions.
I designed a test fixture to load each individual
torres in compression which allowed the designers
to have a better understanding of the mechanical
performance of the structure.
HIAD will help humans explore Mars by enabling
larger vehicles to slow down by providing
a deployable method to increase the drag in
the Martian atmosphere.
NASA turned science fiction into science fact
by creating inflatable structures that will
one day, enable humans to explore Mars by
creating bigger vehicles that can slow down
in the Martian atmosphere.
What excites me is I’m part of a team that
is developing technologies that will one day
enable humans to explore Mars.
