cool. If this tech is reliable enough, and cheap enough, they seems like a very good alternative to the current method. Space X's dragon capsule could use one of these, and if it works like they say ... Elon won't even have to wash it or give it a new paint job before they re-launch it. :)

A number of NASA projects come to mind:
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19880002318_1988002318.pdf http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19650076611_1965076611.pdf
But if I remember right this is a rigid heat shield project covering the entire spacecraft for controlled aerobraking to enter Mars and Earths orbits, not re-entry.

Make a bigger balloon fill it with a lighter than air gas and bring the payload down as a blimp.

That movie may have been the way the concept was introduced to most of the public, but Clarke was not the originator of aerobraking or ballutes.

re; Gadgeteer
since you know so much please inform us of who it was.

I wonder if it could be used as an aeroshield for landing on the planet Mars?

Something special is needed for landing a large mass on Mars efficiently. Ideally we want to reduce our speed through aerobraking to achieve orbit and then further decelerate to land. Rocket thrusters could be used but would add much mass to the original launch mass. How about inflatable wings to achieve both goals. The size can be increased according to the speed of the craft, with rockets only used for the final few feet of the descent.

@ Slowburn
North American Space Agency, Mars 96 mission included inflatable Aerobrakes
See my post, Trust in NASA
Please do not Troll the nice people.

re; L1ma
Actually that was JMOdom's question you answered.
NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Mars 96 was Russian, http://www.aerospaceguide.net/mars96.html, and given the description, http://www.msss.com/mars/mars9x/penetrators.html, it was an inflatable air brake (think parachute) not a heat shield.

Re Slowburn;
Mars 96 was a 3 collaborative effort (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press_kits/m96pkt.pdf). The technology of airbrakes was copied by Lavochkin for the Russian lander (http://www.weblab.dlr.de/rbrt/GPSNavPast/IRDT/arcachon_paper.pdf )- (MOOSE, Paracone) from Douglas Aircraft and General Electric, rejected by NASA.
Gageteer mentioned 'ballutes' which is the correct term, he is allowed to be right do not troll the nice people. This is what he was suggesting.
On June 10th 1968 NASA's Inflatable Micrometeoroid Paraglider was the first inflatable reentry vehicle with a sprayed on heat shield to re-enter the Earths atmosphere (http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19680012821_1968012821.pdf).
I was expecting you to find the actual real event and @ the comment like a decent person, which is why you get the Troll moniker. I also leave in obvious mistakes.