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By Josh Rhoten

CU Boulder leads $15M NASA institute making hypersonic entry safer听

Researchers at CU Boulder are听leading a new $15 million, multipartner听institute with NASA over the next five听years to improve entry, descent and landing technologies for exploring听other planets.

The Advanced Computational Center听for Entry System Simulation (ACCESS)听institute was announced in March.听It will focus on thermal protection听systems, which shield spacecraft from听the aerodynamic heating experienced听during hypersonic entry into the听atmosphere, in which spacecraft听reach speeds up to 17,000 miles听per hour. The work is critical to听exploration of nearby planets like听Mars and beyond, which will require听safe placement of large payloads on听their surfaces.

The overall project is led by Professor听Iain Boyd of the Ann and H.J. Smead听Department of Aerospace Engineering听Sciences. Boyd is also director of the听hypersonic vehicles research area听within the College of Engineering and听Applied Science and the director of听the new Center for National Security听Initiatives on campus.

鈥淲e are thrilled to have this听opportunity to work in partnership听with colleagues across the country听on the incredibly challenging and听important problem of hypersonic entry听system analysis for NASA,鈥� Boyd said.

Boyd said the goal of the center is to听significantly advance our ability to use听computer simulations to design and听ensure the safety of the entry systems听required for NASA space exploration听missions. These systems protect听a payload鈥攚hether astronauts,听equipment or scientific instruments鈥攄uring the harsh flight of a space听capsule into the atmosphere of a听distant planet or on its return to Earth.

To ensure safety, NASA has incredibly听demanding entry system reliability听requirements that cannot be fully听met with today鈥檚 approaches, Boyd听said. Meeting those goals will require听interdisciplinary work in the fields of听aerospace engineering, chemistry,听radiation, materials, structures and听reliability, Boyd said, all within a听single, comprehensive computational听framework.

The Space Technology Research听Institute program started in 2017听and aims to advance technologies听for exploring the moon, Mars and听beyond in a variety of fields and听approaches. At the same time, the听program expands the U.S. talent base听in research and development.

The new ACCESS institute is one of听two center-scale research projects听in hypersonics announced by NASA听in 2021. The other project is related听to high power electric propulsion听systems and includes CU Boulder and听Boyd as a partner as well.