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Technology NASA Langley shows off space-age technology NASA
Langley shows off space-age technology  Eight-year-old Ava Paul
of Charlottesville was trying to land a spaceship safely on a
planet, presumably this one. She studied the iPad on the
tabletop, tapping it here and there, as the animated spacecraft
dropped out of orbit and deployed an inflatable heat shield
shaped like a giant mushroom cap that plowed its way through the
atmosphere. A real version of the heat shield was inflated
beside the table, towering over her. The spacecraft slowed down
and landed safely, but missed its target by a smidge. The
animation ended with a frowny face. Ava wasn't deterred. "It's
cool, 'cause it's science-y," said Ava, who likes science so
much she says she might...