NASA Tests Next-Generation Heat Shields Using Decommissioned Cargo Spacecraft

• NASA is testing advanced thermal protection materials by launching 12 experimental capsules aboard a deorbiting Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft as part of the KREPE-3 mission.
• This project utilizes the end-of-life phase of cargo missions to gather high-impact, low-cost flight data for future exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Key Technologies Under Test

• 3D-Printed Shields: Collaborative project between NASA Johnson and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to test additively manufactured thermal protection.
• MERINO (Materials Engineered for Re-entry using Innovative Needling Operations): A flexible, lower-cost material made from carbon and phenolic fibers, designed for Mars missions where lower heat loads allow for lighter shielding.
• Specialized Designs: Testing a dual-cone hypersonic probe for computer model validation and a replica aeroshell design similar to the upcoming Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon, Titan.
• Deployable Shields: Evaluation of an umbrella-like foldable heat shield designed to increase surface area and decelerate payloads larger than their launch vehicles.

Experiment Goals

• Collaborative effort including the University of Kentucky, NASA EPSCoR, and international partners like the University of Stuttgart.
• Use of onboard sensors to monitor temperature, pressure, and magnetic fields during atmospheric re-entry.
• Validating computer models against real-world performance to refine future re-entry systems for cargo and crew.