Unique high enthalpy environmental simulation © Creates shock-heated, high enthalpy gas

capability that serves customer-driven material environments similar to those encountered by

performance requirements in support of NASA atmospheric entry vehicles

missions and other National programs. © Capable of simulating velocities from 1 km/sec to

© Nation’s highest powered (150 MW DC) arc-heated 46 km/sec at pressures between 1 Pa to 100 MPa
hyper-thermal test facility in a variety of planetary-like atmospheres

Unique capabilities enable development of advanced

TPS concepts and materials STAR Labs

Large test articles (up to 60 x 60 cm)

© Pre-mixed test gas with continuous high enthalpy The Sensors & TPS Advanced Research (STAR) Labs
flows (2 — 40 Md/kg in air) at NASA Ames Research Center specializes in

Plasma flow expands through conical, semi-elliptical, engineering, design, and fabrication of test articles
channel nozzles to hypersonic speeds from a variety of thermal protection materials as

Enthalpies similar to planetary entries Well as sensors and instrumentation. All lab spaces

— J qr I 7 Hy fall under ITAR controls. STAR Labs is certified to

A eas . ne Induced Fluorescence AS9100 per the Ames Quality Management System
iagnostic capability and follows NASA ASTM and industry standards.

20-inch diameter
‘Advanced TUFROC nose
concept model with
AETBY/TUFI outer ring.

© NASA's sole remaining aero-ballistic range

© Utilizes an arsenal of model-launching guns to
accelerate small-scale models of various size, shape,
and materials to velocities > 8 km/sec NASA Ames Research Center

© Investigates the aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, Moffett Field. California 94035-1000
gas-dynamics of hypervelocity flight www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/entry-systems-and-technology

For more information contact david.b.hash@nasa.gov

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the Entry Systems
& Technology Division offers state-of-the-art aeroshell
design and development; high enthalpy aerothermal
modeling and testing; high temperature material
modeling, development, and characterization; Thermal
Protection Systems (TPS) sizing, integration, and
post-flight evaluation.

www.nasa.gov/centers/ames
/entry-systems-and-technology



Aerothermal Modeling & Analysis
Navier-Stokes Simulation of Hypersonic Flows

Develop and employ the DPLR and US3D computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) codes for high-fidelity modeling of
reacting, non-equilibrium flows

Predict aerothermal environments to establish TPS
material requirements for atmospheric entry vehicles

Nonequilibrium Gas Radiation Analysis

NEQAIR computes radiative emission and absorption
along a line-of-sight for a variety of gases/atmospheres
Enables prediction of radiative heating experienced
during high speed (re)-entries for missions including
Lunar return, Mars return and Gas Giant entries

Entry Vehicles & System Engineerii

Perform/coordinate systems
level integration for entry
vehicles, including the

direct application of new
technologies and capabilities
to analyze, design, develop,
test, evaluate, manufacture,
integrate, certify, and operate entry vehicles and systems.

© Rapid design and analysis for future planetary
exploration and entry vehicle concepts

¢ Entry vehicle systems engineering

© TPS sizing and margins policy

¢ Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) instrumentation

* Post-flight data and hardware evaluation and analysis

© TPS project management, mission infusion, hardware
production support, TPS integration support

Flight TPS Materials

PICA - Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator
Successfully flown on Stardust, Mars Science Lab,
OSIRIS-REx, Mars 2020 and SpaceX’s Dragon

SIRCA - Silicone Impregnated Reusable Ceramic Ablator

Transverse Impulse
Rocket System
(TIRS) cover TPS on
Mars Pathfinder and

Mars Exploration Rovers — Orion's 3D-MAT Compression
Pad and Bolt Installation

3D-MAT
Extremely strong 3D woven quartz / cyanate ester ablative
invented for Orion’s lunar return compression pad

Reusable TPS: TUFROC & Space Shuttle Materials
Lightweight, low cost, reusable TPS for use up to 3000+°F
TUFROC flown on USAF X-37b

Research & Development TPS Materials

HEEET — Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environments is
a TRL 6 dual-layer 3D woven carbon phenolic for very high
entry heating environments

3MDCP - 3D mid-density carbon
phenolic TPS baselined for the Mars
Sample Return Earth Entry Vehicle

Conformal PICA — more efficient TPS than heritage PICA,
reduces part count & gap issues, simplified integration

TPS Material Modeling & Analysis

Develop material response models to
predict TPS ablation during entry
and establish sizing

* Apply predictive modeling to
characterize material properties
and behavior over multiple scales

* Characterize vehicle and component
thermal structural performance
during entry

The TS Division is a leader in entry system and test
instrumentation, with expertise in technology maturation
and integration of sensors into TPS for high enthalpy
flow applications.

The value of flight instrumentation is evident:
© Captures data during atmospheric entry for validation
of modeling tools
* Reduces
risk on
future
missions

Notable flight instrumentation and reconstruction efforts:
Mars Science Laboratory (2012)
© Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (2014)
© Mars 2020

Upcoming flight instrumentation opportunities:
¢ Artemis missions
© New Frontiers 4 Dragonfly mission

 Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator
(LOFTID)

Experience includes:
e Manufacturing, characterization, testing, and
integration of instruments

© Continued advancement of thermocouple
design innovation

¢ Implementing highly-reliable thermocouple
technologies
Addressing anomalies seen in flight and ground tests

© TPS and aerothermal reconstruction efforts, Non-De-
structive Evaluation (NDE) analyses, and science return

Optical Recession Thermocouple Design
Sensor for Artemis Improvements