Nano-ADEPT: An entry system for secondary payloads

Enabling and Enhancing Science Exploration Across the Solar System: Aerocapture Technology for SmallSat to Flagship Missions

“…ADEPT employs an umbrella-like deployable structure with a "skin" that is a 3-D woven carbon fabric to serve as a thermal protection system (TPS) and as a structural surface that transfers aerodynamic deceleration forces to the underlying ribs. [14,15]. The ADEPT structure is folded during launch and then deployed prior to atmospheric entry, enabling the entire flight system to be packaged into an ESPA compatible volume which meets SIMPLEx launch and configuration constraints.…”

Free-Flight Trajectory Simulation of the ADEPT Sounding Rocket Test Using US3D

“…1 In order to rapidly develop the technology, ADEPT has been re-sized and repurposed as a platform to land small secondary payloads such as cubesats in locations of interest. 9 The fully deployed configuration can be seen in Figure 1. Nano-ADEPT uses a system of mechanical ribs and flexible carbon cloth as its primary heat shield and structure.…”

Nano-ADEPT aeroloads wind tunnel test

“…This wind tunnel test was one element of a larger technology maturation strategy for Nano-ADEPT. The Venn diagram in Figure 34 provides a high-level overview of this integrated approach [2]. Four test campaigns were designed to provide data that together will bring Nano-ADEPT to TRL 5.…”

“…Specific missions identified by the roadmap that ADEPT could enable are large payload delivery to the Martian surface, ISS down-mass, and crewed Earth return beyond low Earth orbit. Recent work has shown that ADEPT could also have enabling science benefits for small spacecraft missions that are riding along as secondary payloads and in need of a low-volume deployable entry system [2]. These "Nano-ADEPT" entry vehicles are targeted for systems with an entry mass of less than 15 kg and a payload mass on the order of 5 kg.…”