The description does not appear to offer any possibility of using the planetary magnetic field or ion cloud as a braking mechanism, that would bring approach velocities down outside ('above') the maximum altitude where atmospheric heating becomes inevitable.
Thank you for teeing me up - we're gonna break down this exact concept next weekend! Magnetoshell aerocapture and MHD shielding are methods of using High-Temperature Superconducting coils to create a large magnetic field around a spacecraft, which acts as both a heat shield and a parachute in the upper atmosphere.
MSNW LLC, the company at the bleeding-edge of this technology, had multiple successful prototype tests in their lab! The technology was promising, they secured funding to do an on-orbit test from Phase II of the NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Fund, and then they disappeared completely.
The description does not appear to offer any possibility of using the planetary magnetic field or ion cloud as a braking mechanism, that would bring approach velocities down outside ('above') the maximum altitude where atmospheric heating becomes inevitable.
Thank you for teeing me up - we're gonna break down this exact concept next weekend! Magnetoshell aerocapture and MHD shielding are methods of using High-Temperature Superconducting coils to create a large magnetic field around a spacecraft, which acts as both a heat shield and a parachute in the upper atmosphere.
MSNW LLC, the company at the bleeding-edge of this technology, had multiple successful prototype tests in their lab! The technology was promising, they secured funding to do an on-orbit test from Phase II of the NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Fund, and then they disappeared completely.
Stay tuned.