A Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft left the International Space Station carrying 12 small capsules for heat-shield tests, NASA said in an October 9 account of the mission. The experiment will use the vehicle's planned breakup in Earth's atmosphere to collect flight data on thermal protection still in development.
The Kentucky Reentry Probe Experiment, known as KREPE-3, uses capsules designed by University of Kentucky students. Astronauts activated them before the cargo craft departed. Sensors are set to measure temperature, pressure, motion, magnetic field and light during reentry.
As Cygnus breaks apart, the capsules are designed to separate and record how their protective materials perform. They will send live measurements to researchers through satellites.
The test mixes familiar materials with new approaches. One is ceramic tile material used on the space shuttle. Another is a 3D-printed heat shield developed through a project at NASA's Johnson Space Center and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Two capsules will carry materials developed at NASA's Ames Research Center called MERINO. They consist of layers of carbon and phenolic fibers stitched together like felt. Another capsule will test Adaptable Deployable Entry and Placement Technology, an umbrella-shaped shield that NASA says could be folded for launch at full scale.
