NASA Tests Next‑Generation Heat Shields on “Trash‑to‑Treasure” Re‑entry Capsules

NASA’s KREPE‑3 experiment, launched aboard a Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL cargo ship, carried 12 small capsules that will detach during the vehicle’s final descent and record data on a range of thermal‑protection materials. The capsules include a 3‑D‑printed heat shield from the Additive Manufacturing of Thermal Protective Systems project, MERINO fabrics stitched from carbon and phenolic fibers, a deployable umbrella‑shaped shield, and a dual‑cone design that combines tungsten, carbon, and phenolic‑impregnated plastic. Sensors inside each capsule will log temperature, pressure, motion, magnetic field, and light, transmitting live telemetry to researchers as the capsules re‑enter and the Cygnus disintegrates. The mission, a collaboration among NASA, the University of Kentucky, and international partners, provides inexpensive, high‑impact flight data that will inform the design of future crew and cargo heat shields for lunar and Martian missions.