[FPSPACE] Luna Ye-6

[Dwayne Allen Day]

On Thu, 10 Aug 2000, Larry Klaes wrote:

> I thought airbags could only work for space probes
> landing on worlds with at least some atmosphere?
> How did the Luna ones fare?

They're just cushions.  They're inflated from pressurized gas contained on
the spacecraft.  So they'll work anywhere.

It's a novel way of bringing down a craft that has gotten a lot of
attention after Pathfinder.  I think too many people assume that it's a
great way to do all landings now, but there are good reasons why NASA has
not selected this technique for some later probes.



DDAY