Cygnus takes 12 capsules into an atmospheric heat-shield test
Cygnus XL left the International Space Station carrying 12 experimental capsules for a planned atmospheric re-entry test. Their sensors are designed to measure conditions around different heat shields as the cargo vehicle breaks apart. The NASA experiment uses an already departing spacecraft to obtain flight data on protective materials and shapes, with completed re-entry measurements still outstanding.
Science··Morning
Sensors ride home with the cargo vehicle
Cygnus XL left the International Space Station carrying a planned heat-shield experiment. The cargo spacecraft’s atmospheric return is intended to test protective capsule materials. KREPE-3 brings a materials experiment into the final stage of the resupply mission.[1], [2]
Before departure, astronauts activated the capsules and loaded the vehicle with station waste. The Kentucky Reentry Probe Experiment, abbreviated KREPE-3, is the third mission in this experiment series. University of Kentucky students designed the 12 capsules. Sensors measure temperature, pressure, motion, magnetic field and light. NASA's plan calls for the capsules to separate when Cygnus breaks apart and to send measurements by satellite. Completed re-entry results have not yet been announced.[1]
Printed shields and stitched fibres face re-entry
The capsule configurations include ceramic tile technology previously flown on the space shuttle and a heat shield manufactured by three-dimensional printing at NASA Johnson and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Two capsules carry MERINO coverings from NASA Ames, made by stitching carbon and phenolic fibre layers together like felt. These configurations put different protective materials into the same planned flight experiment.[1]
Cones and a folding shield test different shapes
A dual-cone capsule combines a tungsten tip, carbon and heat-resistant plastic fibres at the front, and a MERINO covering at the rear. Another adopts the protective shell shape of Dragonfly, NASA's mission to Titan, to test dynamic stability. Its carbon-based protective covering has already flown on earlier NASA missions.[1]
A deployable shield opens into an umbrella-like shape to increase surface area. The experiment also includes a heat-flux sensor from the University of Stuttgart. Alongside the material configurations, these components address shape and measurement during atmospheric re-entry.[1]
