NASA tests next-generation heat shields on a university-built reentry probe riding a cargo ship

NASA

NASA is testing new heat shield materials for future crew and cargo return from the Moon and Mars. The KREPE-3 experiment flew on Northrop Grumman's 24th cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station, and its capsules collect flight data during the cargo ship's final reentry.

• Twelve small experimental capsules, designed by University of Kentucky students, were carried on the mission.
• Materials tested include shuttle-style ceramic tile, a 3D-printed heat shield, and MERINO, a cheaper stitched carbon and phenolic fibre material considered for Mars.
• Other designs tested are a deployable umbrella-style heat shield (ADEPT) and a PICA-coated aeroshell for dynamic stability checks.
• Sensors record temperature, pressure, motion, magnetic field and light, with live data sent over satellite links.
• NASA says the flight data will show how each material performs and could inform larger heat shields for future cargo or crew vehicles.