NASA&#39;s &#39;Flying Saucer&#39; Will Test Supersonic Landing From The Edge Of Space | Popular Science: NASA is going to see what it would be like to land a giant flying saucer on Mars by launching an experimental spacecraft here on Earth: the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD). The space agency will use a giant weather balloon to carry the LDSD to an altitude of 120,000 feet above Hawaii. There, a rocket booster will shoot the disc up even farther to 180,000 feet, getting it up to supersonic speeds. That’s about how fast a lander will be traveling during a descent to Mars. As it’s traveling three times the speed of sound, the LDSD’s balloon will inflate and start slowing it down. Its supersonic parachute will then deploy, slowing the vehicle down even more until it gently lands in the Pacific Ocean. The parachute didn&#39;t work as well as expected during their spacecraft’s first test mission, so NASA scientists are hoping for a better result this time around.