{
  "id": 13164419,
  "title": "NASA Demonstrates Next-Generation Heat Shield Technologies",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/nasa-demonstrates-next-generation-heat-shield-technologies",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-09T16:59:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NASA Science",
    "slug": "nasa-science",
    "url": "https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/nasa-demonstrates-next-generation-heat-shield-technologies/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NASA showcased advancements in heat shield technologies on October 7, as a KREPE-3 capsule floated within the Cygnus XL 24 cargo spacecraft. Inside the capsule, a 3-D printed heat shield, designed by NASA's Johnson Space Center researchers, awaited testing.\n\nIn an unusual approach, NASA repurposed discarded materials for scientific exploration. When the Northrop Grumman 24th cargo resupply mission bid farewell to the International Space Station, it carried 12 experimental capsules to gather data on next-generation thermal protection materials for future missions to the Moon and Mars.\n\nThis experiment, KREPE-3, was a collaborative effort involving the University of Kentucky, NASA's EPSCoR program, and multiple federal and commercial partners. David Berger, EPSCoR program manager, highlighted the mission's significance in supporting young scientists and engineers while advancing NASA's mission goals.\n\nWithin the spacecraft, the capsules were equipped with sensors to measure temperature, pressure, motion, magnetic field, and light during re-entry. As the spacecraft broke apart harmlessly in Earth's atmosphere, the capsules detached and began collecting data on the performance of each experimental heat shield material.\n\nThe capsules carried a diverse range of thermal protective components, including traditional ceramic tiles and innovative materials like 3D-printed heat shields from NASA Johnson and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Notably, NASA Ames Research Center contributed several materials, including the MERINO heat shield – a flexible, low-cost option made from carbon and phenolic fibers.\n\nThree capsules tested the MERINO material combined with other elements, while another focused on the dynamic stability of a protective aeroshell designed for NASA's Dragonfly mission to Saturn's moon, Titan. One capsule examined a deployable heat shield resembling an umbrella, while others assessed new shapes and designs to enhance computer modeling and sensor technologies for future re-entry innovations.",
  "summary": "NASA is testing heat shields that can keep astronauts safe as they return from missions to the Moon and Mars in an unusual way: by taking out the trash. When Northrop Grumman 24th cargo resupply mission for NASA undocked from the International Space Station, it carried a fleet of 12 small, experimental capsules designed to […] The post NASA Demonstrates Next-Generation Heat Shield Technologies…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "NASA",
        "title": "NASA Demonstrates Next-Generation Heat Shield Technologies",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/nasa-demonstrates-next-generation-heat-shield-technologies-13164506",
        "published": "2026-10-09T16:59:24.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}