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

John D. Schmidt; Matthew P. Ruffner; J. Tyler Nichols; Ryan D. Nolin; Isaac S. Rowe; Kirsten F. Ford; William T. Smith; Alexandre Martin

doi:10.2514/6.2023-0206

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

John D. Schmidt
, Matthew P. Ruffner
, J. Tyler Nichols
, Ryan D. Nolin
, Isaac S. Rowe
, Kirsten F. Ford
, William T. Smith
, Alexandre Martin

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-0206
State	Published - 2023
Event	AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2023 - Orlando, United States Duration: Jan 23 2023 → Jan 27 2023

Publication series

Name	AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2023

Conference

Conference	AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2023
Country/Territory	United States
City	Orlando
Period	1/23/23 → 1/27/23

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc, AIAA. All rights reserved.

Funding

for this project was provided by NASA Kentucky Space Grant Award (sub-award of 80NSSC20M0047), NASA EPSCoR Award 80NSSC19M0014 (M. Wright Technical Monitor), and NASA Award 80NSSC21K0286 (A. Sidor Technical Monitor). Special thanks are extended to S. Bouslog for his continuous support throughout the project. The authors would like to thank Yokohama Industries Inc. (Versailles, KY) for vibration testing the flight batteries using their shaker. The authors would also like to thank NASA JSC for providing the flight batteries and Oak Ridge NL for the additional heat shield, as well as NASA Ames Research Center Thermal Protection Materials Branch for the fabrication of both the LI-2200 heat shields. Additionally, special thanks are due to Protolabs, who sponsors the project and provides the internal housing necessary to make these missions possible. Thanks are also extended to T. Cochell (U. of Kentucky) for allowing the use of the oven and tensile tester. Thanks to K. Berry (SAIC) for his guidance and hard work that brought the project to be approved by the NASA safety department. The authors would also like to thank the vibration and EMI test facilities at NASA MSFC, particularly, R. Stephens and J. Fortinberry. The authors would also like to thank B. Howell (NASA MSFC) for his help with crew operations. Finally, the authors would like to thank S. Whitehead (Boeing) and K. Neiss (NASA JSC) for their oversight of the entire KREPE project.

Funders	Funder number
NASA Ames Research Center Thermal Protection Materials
Boeing
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Yokohama Industries Inc.
NASA Kentucky Space	80NSSC20M0047
NASA	80NSSC19M0014, 80NSSC21K0286

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Aerospace Engineering

Access to Document

10.2514/6.2023-0206

Cite this

@inproceedings{046c923e2a994fc8bb14be39080d2191,

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

abstract = "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.",

author = "Schmidt, \{John D.\} and Ruffner, \{Matthew P.\} and \{Tyler Nichols\}, J. and Nolin, \{Ryan D.\} and Rowe, \{Isaac S.\} and Ford, \{Kirsten F.\} and Smith, \{William T.\} and Alexandre Martin",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc, AIAA. All rights reserved.; AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2023 ; Conference date: 23-01-2023 Through 27-01-2023",

year = "2023",

doi = "10.2514/6.2023-0206",

language = "English",

isbn = "9781624106996",

series = "AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2023",

booktitle = "AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2023",

}

Schmidt, JD, Ruffner, MP, Tyler Nichols, J, Nolin, RD, Rowe, IS, Ford, KF, Smith, WT & Martin, A 2023, Kentucky Re-entry Universal Payload System (KRUPS): Overview of hypersonic re-entry flight. in AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2023. AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2023, AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2023, Orlando, United States, 1/23/23. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-0206

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AU - Schmidt, John D.

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AU - Smith, William T.

AU - Martin, Alexandre

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

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AB - 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.

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M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85178983739

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BT - AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2023

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ER -

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

Abstract

Publication series

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Bibliographical note

Funding

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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