From http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/ldsd/

# Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD)

As NASA plans ambitious new robotic missions to Mars, laying the groundwork for even more complex human science expeditions to come, the spacecraft needed to land safely on the red planet's surface necessarily becomes increasingly massive, hauling larger payloads to accommodate extended stays on the Martian surface. Current technology for decelerating from the high speed of atmospheric entry to the final stages of landing on Mars dates back to NASA's Viking Program, which put two landers on Mars in 1976. The basic Viking parachute design has been used ever since -- and was successfully used again in 2012 to deliver the Curiosity rover to Mars.

NASA seeks to use atmospheric drag as a solution, saving rocket engines and fuel for final maneuvers and landing procedures. The heavier planetary landers of tomorrow, however, will require much larger drag devices than any now in use to slow them down -- and those next-generation drag devices will need to be deployed at higher supersonic speeds to safely land vehicle, crew and cargo. NASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) Technology Demonstration Mission, led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., will conduct full-scale, stratospheric tests of these breakthrough technologies high above Earth to prove their value for future missions to Mars.

Description: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/ldsd/

Seems to be trying to figure out how to save fuel by relying on atmospheric drag to rapidly decelerate on descent to, say, Mars with extremely heavy payloads.

News conference: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/48346813

"Current technology for decelerating from the high speed of atmospheric entry to the final stages of landing on Mars dates back to NASA's Viking Program, which put two landers on Mars in 1976. The basic Viking parachute design has been used ever since -- and was successfully used again in 2012 to deliver the Curiosity rover to Mars."

Viking program: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_program

Intro video specifically about this test:

LDSD: The Great Shakeout Test For Mars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YwSXAba6Ik

The video feed is raw, no commentary and little editing, just FYI. If you want to figure out what's going on, you need to read up on background info and also listen for 10-20 minutes :P

As of 4:32 EST, it looks like a live video feed should start coming from the vehicle soon (within minutes), but timelines are changing every few minutes. I think the parachute deployment is still on schedule for 4:51 EST.

[Edit: There are now commentators, so it's a bit easier to figure out what's going on and follow the progress.]

Here is a timeline of the test: http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/ldsd/pia18451/

Looks like the parachute failed to deploy cleanly.

Does anyone know why the live footage looks like it was taken using a security camera from the 80s?

I have a distinct feeling that someone really tried to make the acronym spell "LSD".

Speaking of which, does anyone here know how acronyms are created at NASA? Is it by committee or does someone just make a name that kind of sticks?

Damn, headline isn't NASA Tests LSD In Flying Saucer.

Maybe next time.