NASA ADEPT foldable “umbrella” shields spacecraft from intense heat

NASA has unveiled a new umbrella-shaped heat shield called Adaptable Deployable Entry Placement Technology, a device capable of folding during transport. Thanks to this design, which NASA describes as “game-changing,” the space agency may one day be able to deliver large heat shields that, when fully expanded, are wider than the diameter of the rocket transporting it. As demonstrated in … Continue reading