EFESTO - advancing European hypersonic inflatable heatshield technology for Earth recovery and Mars high-mass delivery missions

Abstract

The European Union H2020 EFESTO project is coordinated by DEIMOS Space with the end goals of improving the European TRL of Inflatable Heat Shields for re-entry vehicles (from 3 to 4/5) and paving the way towards further improvements (TRL 6 with a future In-Orbit Demonstrator). This paper presents the project objectives and provides with a general overview of the activities ongoing and planned for the next two years, promoting its position in the frame of a European re-entry technology roadmap. EFESTO aims at (1) the definition of critical space mission scenarios (Earth and Mars applications) enabled by the use of advanced inflatable Thermal Protection Systems (TPS), (2) characterization of the operative environment and (3) validation by tests of both the flexible materials needed for the thermal protection (flexible thermal blanket will be tested in arcjet facility in both Earth and Martian environments) and the inflatable structure at 1:2 scale (exploring the morphing dynamics and materials response from packed to fully inflated configuration). These results will be injected into the consolidated design of a future In-Orbit Demonstrator (IOD) mission.