Beyond Ablation: Integrated Active Cooling Into Hybrid Heatshields for Next-Gen Spacecraft Protection

Patrik Rychtarčík, Lukáš Hudáček, Emanuel Ungero, Jonáš Sarvaš, Patrik Zádrapa, Timotej Kojš, Andrii Hrytchuk, Barbora Stúpavská, Daniel Kóna, Martin Konečný, Pavlo Ustiuk, Peter Gornyitzki, Sebastián Hudák

2026.079.0096

DOI https://doi.org/10.59332/jbis-079-03-0096

Reusable thermal protection remains a fundamental challenge in operating sustainable spacecraft during the harsh conditions of atmospheric re-entry, where both reliability and lightweight structure play a critical role. To this day, no ideal solution has been found in the field of reusable heatshields. Currently used reusable capacitive tiles have proven to be unreliable and hard to maintain due to their fragile nature, while most ablative systems are not sustainable for prolonged use. This study focuses on the design, numerical modelling, and preliminary validation of an experiment module protected by a Hybrid Atmospheric Re-entry Thermal Shield (HARTS). This technology integrates known passive thermal protection systems with an actively cooled layer into a hybrid solution, addressing limitations of currently used heatshields. HARTS explores the concept of using leftover helium from fuel tank pressurization as a coolant. This approach aims to decrease the need for insulation and increase the service life of carbon-resin ablative heatshields without adding extra mass. HARTS is a project led by students from the Technical University of Kosice, under the administration of the Faculty of Aeronautics and supported by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic. Team HARTS is participating in Cycle 16 of the international REXUS/BEXUS Student experiment program with the experiment scheduled to fly aboard REXUS 35 in March 2026 from the Esrange Space Center (SSC) in Kiruna, Sweden. The findings from this experiment will contribute to the advancement of reusable thermal protection systems, providing valuable insight into the development of next-generation spacecraft re-entry technologies.

Keywords: Hybrid Heatshield, Reusable, Carbon-Resin Composite, Active Cooling