SpaceX could launch this wild, origami-inspired folding heat shield later this year

[Judi Lynn]

By Josh Dinner published about 13 hours ago
The new heat shield is called Pridwen, named after the shield donned by King Arthur.



a small spacecraft expands to form an octagonal heat shield as it enters Earth's atmosphere
(Image credit: ESA/Space Forge)

A private company has plans to test a revolutionary new heat shield that folds and unfolds like origami.

The new heat shield built by Cardiff, UK-based company Space Forge is called Pridwen, named after the shield donned by King Arthur. Pridwen will be the company's first prototype that will undergo a test including a reentry through Earth's atmosphere, and is progressing toward a launch later this year.

ESA recently posted an update on the origami heat shield to the space agency's website, adding that Pridwen will be a part of Star Forge's ForgeStar-1A mission that will launch on a ride-share flight aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Following payload release and the probe's ensuing trajectory back to Earth, the heat shield will deploy prior to atmospheric reentry and be recovered using Star Forge's "hover net," an uncrewed water vessel designed to catch payloads returning from space, according to a company statement.

More:
https://www.space.com/spacex-space-forge-origami-heatshield

[RandySF]

1. I got a bad feeling about this one.

[dchill]

2. Don't tell me - it's self-piloted, right?

[druidity33]

3. I always thought his shield

was called Wynebgwrthucher. Pryddwyn (or as Geoffrey of Monmouth writes Pridwen) was taken up sometime later by Geoffrey himself. He also called Arthur's ship Pridwen, so he may have just been confused.

[Duppers]

4. Bravo !!

We're going to be toast if we don't curb our pollution and population, along with trying such innovative solutions such as this one!

Anyone doubting this needs to look at the trajectory of the planet's temperature.