DLR Portal - SHEFEX-Archiv

A heat shield tile in the wind tunnel

Thu, 06 May 2010 12:30:00 +0200

Eyes open and ears covered – in a darkened hall at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) facility in Göttingen, a loud bang reverberates. Then air races at ten times the speed of sound through the 60-meter-long wind tunnel and flows over a model of sharp-edged SHEFEX II spacecraft. The expensive experiment lasts for just a few milliseconds, and DLR has tested active cooling of spacecraft for the first time.

DLR tests sharp-edged spacecraft with new type of heat shield cooling system

Thu, 06 May 2010 11:30:00 +0200

Re-entry into Earth's atmosphere is considered one of the most critical moments in spaceflight. To make the journey into space and back to Earth safer, cheaper and more flexible, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) has designed an experimental spacecraft. The Shefex II project uses advanced technologies such as a sharp, angular design and active cooling of the heat shield. For the first time, scientists have tested a model of the spacecraft in a wind tunnel at Gottingen.

Cooling effects for high temperatures

Thu, 06 May 2010 11:20:00 +0200

In early 2011, the Australian testing ground at Woomera will become the most exciting place on Earth for Hannah Böhrk. Woomera is the launch site chosen for the SHEFEX II spacecraft which, when it re-enters Earth's atmosphere, will be cooled by means of a system that was conceived and designed for SHEFEX by this scientist, who works at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), in the Institute of Structures and Design. In this interview, she explains how the cooling system for this spacecraft was created.

SHEFEX flight: Webcast replay

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 11:50:00 +0200

The flight of SHEFEX (Sharp Edge Flight Experiment), an experiment prepared by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), was broadcasted live on the web on Thursday, 27 October 2005. Video streams of the launch site, the Andøya Rocket Range in Norway, as well as videofeed of the on board-cameras were available by Webcast. A replay is available here.

SHEFEX – hot re-entry with sharp edges

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 12:00:00 +0200

By launching its SHEFEX (Sharp Edge Flight Experiment) project, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) has set itself the objective of testing new thermal protection concepts for spacecraft returning to Earth and at the same time of testing the suitability of a sharp-edged design for the aerodynamic configuration.