‘Flying Saucer’ Flight A Test Of Mars Landing Technologies: When And Where To Watch Saturday

NASA will attempt the launch of a high-altitude balloon carrying the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) test vehicle to the edge of space Saturday. NASA

With a mission to Mars in mind, NASA will once again attempt the launch of a high-altitude balloon carrying the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) test vehicle to the edge of space on a flight originating at the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii.

The first of three flights of the LDSD test vehicle has been delayed several times this month because of weather conditions at the launch site.

Its appearance similar to a flying saucer, the vehicle has been engineered to test landing technologies for future Mars missions, according to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The current launch window will be open Saturday between 8:15 a.m. HST (2:15 p.m. EDT) and 9 a.m. HST (3 p.m. EDT).

NASA plans to live-stream video of the test via UStream, as the U.S. space agency tweeted Friday:

NASA's LDSD launch a go for tmrw, June 28. For more info and how to watch it live on Ustream, visit the LDSD webpage http://t.co/6tZctsPYqH.
— NASA Technology (@NASA_Technology) June 27, 2014