NASA's KREPE-3 mission deployed 12 small capsules inside the Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL 24 cargo spacecraft departing the ISS. These capsules, designed by University of Kentucky students, carried sensors to measure temperature, pressure, motion, magnetic field, and light during re-entry.
As the cargo vehicle disintegrated naturally on re-entry, the capsules ejected, transmitting live data to researchers via satellite. This cost-effective approach provided primary data on next-generation heat shield materials to protect future lunar and Martian missions, representing a collaboration of NASA EPSCoR, universities, and industry partners.
Source & further reading
NASA Demonstrates Next-Generation Heat Shield Technologies ↗Source published 2026-10-09. This report was prepared with AI assistance from the linked primary-source material. Claims and limitations should be checked against the original announcement or research.