2c. Entry Systems_Wercinski.pdf

This presentation details NASA's Adaptable, Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT), an innovative atmospheric entry vehicle architecture designed for missions to planetary bodies with atmospheres. The key technological breakthrough is a 3D woven carbon fabric that provides a primary drag surface capable of surviving extreme aerothermal heating and aerodynamic loads during planetary entry. ADEPT's unique design allows it to be stowed compactly inside a launch vehicle shroud and deploy like an umbrella in space before atmospheric entry, overcoming traditional packaging and volume constraints of rigid heatshields.

The document showcases ADEPT's development through multiple testing phases, including supersonic aerodynamic testing at the Hypersonic Free-Flight Aerodynamic Facility, arc-jet testing for thermal performance, and a successful SR-1 sounding rocket flight test on September 12, 2018. NASA has made substantial progress in ADEPT technology, with commercial interest growing and active reimbursable agreements with companies like Blue Origin, Outpost Space, and Los Alamos National Lab. The technology has potential applications for re-entry missions and low-cost secondary payload accommodations across various planetary exploration scenarios, with demonstrated capabilities for different mission scales from small satellite payloads to larger Venus and Mars exploration missions.