"NASA Collaborates with Industry to Enhance Inflatable Heat Shield Tech"
NASA's successful demonstration of an inflatable heat shield has attracted interest from multiple companies, including United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Outpost, who are now working with NASA to advance the technology. ULA is collaborating with NASA on designing a larger aeroshell, while Outpost is exploring commercial reentry systems using inflatable systems. NASA is also partnering with other undisclosed "bigger names" in the industry for even larger aeroshells. These collaborations are crucial for the development of large-scale inflatable decelerators, which NASA sees as a key technology for future human missions to Mars. However, NASA acknowledges the need for continued investment in the technology alongside industry partnerships.