Kentucky Re-entry Universal Payload System (KRUPS): Overview of hypersonic re-entry flight

The Kentucky Re-entry Universal Payload System is a test bed for conducting atmospheric entry experiments. The use of readily available and inexpensive components makes KRUPS an appealing route for conducting flights in a short timeline. Several sub-orbital flights were conducted in previous years which consisted of launching a KRUPS capsule from a sounding rocket. These missions paved the way for the first hypersonic re-entry mission. For this mission, three KRUPS capsules were sent up to the International Space Station (ISS) via the NG-16 Cygnus resupply vehicle. After the completion of the resupply mission, the Cygnus vehicle de-orbited with the capsules inside. Cygnus then broke up into the atmosphere in order to burn up stored trash. The three KRUPS capsules were released during this breakup event and re-entered the atmosphere of Earth at hypersonic velocities. Each capsule was outfitted with a heat shield which protected the internal electronics and allowed the capsule to survive the entry. Two of these capsules were able to measure the temperature of the TPS during re-entry and transmit the data via the Iridium satellite network. This was the first high-speed re-entry experiment completed by a US university and it was also the first re-entry of a vehicle outfitted with a 3D-printed heat shield. The success of this mission demonstrated that KRUPS is a viable test bed for re-entry experiments.