Louis Giersch
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Papers
2
Total Citations
20
H-Index
2
About
Louis Giersch is a leading aerospace engineer whose work centers on entry, descent, and landing (EDL) technologies for planetary exploration, with a particular focus on enabling larger payloads for Mars missions. His primary contribution is the development of the Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator for Robotic Missions (SIAD-R), a novel device designed to dramatically increase the drag area of a spacecraft while traveling at supersonic speeds. This innovation directly addresses a critical bottleneck in Mars exploration: the inability of current parachute systems to safely land payloads heavier than the Mars Science Laboratory. Giersch’s foundational 2013 paper on the SIAD-R concept (15 citations) established the nomenclature and performance metrics for the system, while his 2015 work (5 citations) documented the landmark full-scale suborbital supersonic flight test in 2014, where the SIAD-R successfully deployed at supersonic speeds—a world first for an inflatable decelerator of its size. This flight test validated the technology’s readiness for future missions, positioning Giersch as a key figure in the push toward heavier, more capable landers on Mars.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2