The Inflatable Antenna Experiment (IAE) was a
NASA experiment that began on May 19, 1996, consisting of an inflatable antenna made of
mylar which was launched from the
Space ShuttleEndeavour during the 1996
STS-77 mission, in cooperation with the satellite Spartan-207.[1][2]
The antenna correctly inflated, separating from Spartan-207, before re-entering
Earth'satmosphere a few days later, on 22 May. IAE was intended to pave the way for the development of lightweight inflatable structures for space applications.[3] The IAE was constructed by
LGarde, Inc., an American aerospace company based in Orange County, CA.[4][5]
References
^"IAE". Astronautix.com. Archived from
the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
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Cubesats are smaller. Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).