What is it about?
Characterization of heat shield materials' performances is essential for the design of space landers. We show an innovative technique to measure in-situ recession in arc-heated wind tunnels, and we characterize the performance of cork-based ablators for atmospheric entry in a simulated dust-laden Martian atmosphere.
Featured Image
Photo by NASA Hubble Space Telescope on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Understanding how heat shield materials behave in realistic Martian entry conditions is critical to ensure spacecraft safety and mission success. Dust–laden atmospheres can significantly alter aerothermal loads and material response, yet are rarely accounted for in ground testing. By enabling accurate in-situ recession measurements and assessing ablator performance under representative conditions, this work helps reduce design uncertainty and supports the development of more reliable and efficient entry systems for future Mars missions.
Perspectives
Writing this article was the moment my PhD research finally came together: three years of experiments, analyses, and late-night problem-solving distilled into a single story. Receiving the Bernie Bienstock Award at IPPW 2025 in Stuttgart made it even more special, showing me that the effort and curiosity I poured into this work resonated with the atmospheric entry and thermal protection community. It’s a milestone that reminded me why I do this research, and I truly hope you all enjoy the read!
Ciro Salvi
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Characterization of Ablator Recession and Thermal Response Using Nonintrusive Techniques, AIAA Journal, January 2026, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
DOI: 10.2514/1.j065731.
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