CU Boulder Leads $15 Million NASA Project To Better Protect Spacecraft
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder will lead a new $15 million NASA project focused on protecting spacecraft. Research through the Advanced Computational Center for Entry System Simulation will explore how engineers can shield space capsules as they enter atmospheres at speeds of up to 17,000 miles per hour.
Over the next five years, CU Boulder researchers will focus on thermal protection systems to shield spacecraft from heat experienced during entry of the atmosphere. Officials say the work will help NASA explore nearby planets, including Mars.
"We are thrilled to have this opportunity to work in partnership with colleagues across the country on the incredibly challenging and important problem of hypersonic entry system analysis for NASA," said CU Professor Iain Boyd, who will oversee the project.
Project partners also include the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, the University of Kentucky in Lexington and the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
To learn more about the project, visit CU Boulder's website.
