Beating the Heat

While developing a new space glider, the German Aerospace Center is investigating new heat shield technologies in their SHEFEX II program. A nose cone mounted on the tip of a high-altitude research rocket is scheduled for launch in early 2011 to test a new type of heat shield constructed from fl at panels. This will be easier to maintain and much less expensive than the heat shields on current spacecraft. The navigation system for the reentry nose cone, which carries the payload, is undergoing thorough prior testing on a dSPACE system.