Editing Airbag (section)

== Aerospace and military applications ==
The [[aerospace]] industry and the [[Federal government of the United States|United States government]] have applied airbag technologies for many years. [[NASA]] and [[United States Department of Defense]] have incorporated airbag systems in various aircraft and spacecraft applications as early as the 1960s.

=== Spacecraft airbag landing systems ===
[[File:Pathfinder Air Bags - GPN-2000-000484.jpg|thumb|NASA engineers test the [[Mars Pathfinder]] airbag [[landing]] system on simulated Martian terrain]]
The first use of airbags for [[landing]] were [[Luna 9]] and [[Luna 13]]. As with later missions, these would use the airbags to bounce along the surface, absorbing landing energy. The [[Mars Pathfinder]] lander employed an innovative airbag landing system, supplemented with [[aerobraking]], [[parachute]], and [[solid rocket]] landing thrusters. This prototype successfully tested the concept, and the two [[Mars Exploration Rover Mission]] landers employed similar landing systems. The [[Beagle 2]] Mars lander also tried to use airbags for landing; the landing was successful, and the lander touched down safely, but several of the spacecraft's solar panels failed to deploy, thereby disabling the spacecraft.

The [[Boeing Starliner]] uses six airbags to cushion the ground landing of the crewed capsule.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test Mission Overview |url=https://www.nasa.gov/nasas-boeing-crew-flight-test-mission-overview/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=NASA |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Aircraft airbag landing systems ===
Airbags have also been used on military fixed-wing aircraft, such as the [[Escape crew capsule#Design and development|escape crew capsule]] of the [[F-111 Aardvark]].

=== Occupant protection ===
[[File:OH-58D Cockpit Air Bag System (CABS).jpg|thumb|OH-58D CABS test]]

The [[United States Army]] has incorporated airbags in its [[UH-60 Black Hawk|UH-60A/L]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.defense.gov/contracts/contract.aspx?contractid=1462 |title=Defenselink article |website=defense.gov |date=18 February 1999 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140316224540/http://www.defense.gov/contracts/contract.aspx?contractid=1462 |archive-date=16 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.helis.com/database/news/air-bag-hawk/ |title=Cockpit Air Bag System (CABS) for UH-60A/L |work=helis.com |date=18 November 1999 |access-date=15 January 2020}}</ref> Black Hawk and [[OH-58 Kiowa|OH-58D]] Kiowa Warrior<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/oh-58.htm |title=OH-58D Kiowa Warrior |website=fas.org |date=29 May 2000 |access-date=16 March 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061014035814/http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/oh-58.htm |archive-date=14 October 2006 }}</ref> helicopter fleets. The Cockpit Air Bag System (CABS)<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.tslaerospace.com/product/simula/PDF/CABS%20Sunset%20Brochure.pdf |title=Microsoft Word - Sunset Brochure.doc |access-date=17 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20050913064647/http://www.tslaerospace.com/product/simula/PDF/CABS%20Sunset%20Brochure.pdf |archive-date=13 September 2005 }}</ref> consists of forward and lateral airbags, and an inflatable tubular structure (on the OH-58D only) with an Electronic Crash Sensor Unit (ECSU). The CABS system was developed by the United States Army [[Aviation Applied Technology Directorate]], through a contract with Simula Safety Systems (now [[BAE Systems]]).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://csat.au.af.mil/2025/concepts/900312.HTM |title=Air Defense concept papers |website=csat.au.af.mil |access-date=17 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100812011816/http://csat.au.af.mil/2025/concepts/900312.HTM |archive-date=12 August 2010 }}</ref> It is the first conventional airbag system for occupant injury prevention (worldwide) designed and developed and placed in service for an aircraft, and the first specifically for helicopter applications.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2002_June_13/ai_87142543 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203134025/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2002_June_13/ai_87142543/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 December 2010 |title=BNET News Release on AHS Annual Forum award |website=findarticles.com |date=13 June 2002 |access-date=17 October 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-government/5706607-1.html |title=Simula Receives Orders for its Cockpit Air Bag Systems - CABS |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100522002505/http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-government/5706607-1.html |publisher=allbusiness.com |archive-date=22 May 2010 |access-date=15 January 2020}}</ref>