NASA Tests Next-Generation Heat Shields Using Cargo Resupply Missions
NASA is advancing the development of next-generation heat shield technologies through an innovative program that utilizes cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS). The Kentucky Reentry Probe Experiment (KREPE-3) involves attaching 12 small, experimental capsules to Northrop Grumman's 24th cargo resupply spacecraft. These capsules, designed by University of Kentucky students, are equipped with sensors to measure temperature, pressure, motion, magnetic field, and light during atmospheric re-entry. As the Cygnus XL spacecraft, filled with waste, undocks from the ISS and harmlessly breaks apart in Earth's atmosphere, the capsules eject and collect data on the performance of various experimental heat shield materials. This method allows for low-cost, high-impact testing of materials that are still under development, including 3D-printed heat shields and advanced protective coverings like MERINO, which are made from stitched carbon and phenolic fibers. The data collected is transmitted li...
