UK engineers help NASA improve heat shields for 1st crewed Moon mission in 50 years
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 13, 2024) — Researchers in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky are at the forefront of advancing space travel safety and reliability by improving heat shields for NASA’s Artemis program.
These critical components protect astronauts by withstanding the extreme heat generated during a spacecraft’s re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
Earlier this month, NASA announced Artemis II, the first crewed mission to the Moon since the Apollo era, is scheduled to launch in April 2026. This mission marks a significant milestone for space exploration and is directly supported by innovative heat shield research conducted by a team of faculty, staff and students in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
“Being part of Artemis is a tremendous opportunity,” Alexandre Martin, Ph.D., professor of aerospace engineering and director of the Kentucky Space Grant Consortium and NASA EPSCoR programs, said. “We’re proud our work in heat shield technology is helping ensure the safety of astronauts and success of space exploration.”
Investigating Artemis I heat shield challenges
As part of the announcement, NASA also released findings from a two-year investigation into unexpected heat shield problems from the first Artemis flight.
Artemis I, an uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, was launched on Nov. 16, 2022, from Kennedy Space Center. The mission sent Orion around the Moon and back to Earth, where it re-entered the atmosphere and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, protected by its heat shield.
During re-entry, however, small sections of the heat shield material were lost, indicating a partial failure. A nationwide investigation led by NASA, revealed the issue stemmed from gas buildup within the heat shield. As the gases expanded during re-entry, they caused pieces of the material to break off.
UK researchers played a pivotal role in this investigation — collaborating on extensive post-flight test campaigns and material characterization studies of the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield.
“Understanding why these failures occurred was critical,” Martin explained. “By identifying the role of gas expansion in the material, we’ve been able to provide valuable data to improve future designs.”
UK’s role: Improving heat shield testing, a commitment to advancing space exploration
To address the issue, UK researchers focused on testing the permeability — the ease of gas flow through microscopic pores — within the heat shield material called Avcoat.
Michael Renfro, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, designed a specialized device to measure permeability in fragile samples, while Savio Poovathingal, Ph.D., assistant professor in the same department, created tools to extract porosity data from three-dimensional imaging.
“These innovative methods have been widely applied to analyze various heat shield materials. Our unique facility was built to measure the flow and pressure within these complex materials,” Renfro continued. “The tools we developed are not only essential for Artemis missions but also have broader applications in heat shield research.”
“The complexity of the heat shield structure required innovative approaches to image its porosity accurately. By combining our expertise in mechanical and aerospace engineering, we were able to develop techniques that offer a more precise understanding of heat shield materials,” Poovathingal added. “This research has the potential to enhance the durability and efficiency of materials used in space exploration — paving the way for advancements beyond Artemis.”
The Artemis program represents NASA’s commitment to advancing human space exploration, and Kentucky’s contributions underscore the state’s role in achieving those goals.
Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program here.
The Pigman College of Engineering has engaged in heat shield research with NASA since 2011.
Faculty in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering bring expertise in computational modeling, fluid dynamics and laboratory experimentation to study physical processes critical to hypersonic flight, such as ablation, pyrolysis and permeability.
In addition to their work with NASA, UK researchers have developed and flown re-entry capsules in space multiple times — gathering valuable data on re-entry conditions. Their expertise extends beyond NASA partnerships, as they have collaborated on thermal protection systems (TPS) and hypersonic research with the Department of Defense, the European Space Agency and the international academic community.
Through these efforts, the college has also emphasized education and workforce development, training students at every level — from undergraduate researchers to Ph.D. candidates and postdoctoral fellows — to contribute to advancements in aerospace technology.
This research was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) award numbers 80NSSC22M0034 and 80NSSC22M0174, awarded to the University of Kentucky.
The material is based upon work supported by NASA under award Nos. 80NSSC21K0286, 80NSSC21K1117 and 80NSSC20M0047. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
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