Description: "Advanced Evaluation of 3-D Woven TPS for Small Probe Tech Demonstration Missions" will provide essential single and dual-layer 3D carbon fabric woven products in the form of a specialized 24-inch-wide dry woven fabric. The result of this critical development will support preliminary and detailed design activities of 3D woven carbon fabric aeroshells in support of LLISSE-HEEET small probe dual-technology demonstration project which is approved by GCD and Rocket lab's small probe mission to Venus in 2023 or 2025. Development activities led by the NASA Ames Research Center will focus on full scale small aeroshell fabrication for subsequent focused thermal testing. The deliverables from this Phase II-E will directly support development and technology maturation of the Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology (HEEET) TPS for planetary science mission applications requiring the high temperature and high shear protection advanced entry/descent capabilities enabled by the HEEET TPS.

Benefits: Long-Lived In-Situ Solar System Explorer (LLISSE) is a probe concept designed to address Venus science questions with simple sensors, electronics, and communications package. Given its small volume and expected low mass (10kg), LLISSE could be paired with a communications orbiter, or delivered to Venus as a secondary payload. It may alternatively be delivered as a suite of probes packaged in a dedicated protective aeroshell made from HEEET TPS.

Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology (HEEET) TPS could possible have applications for DOD or other applications such as Hypersonic materials. At this time BRM does not have a specific potential non-NASA application.