1. Wireless Architecture for Embedded Thermal Protection System Sensors NASA Ames Research Center NASA Johnson Spaceflight Center

2. Sponsors: Dr. Raj Venkatapathy, Ames Dr. Ed Martinez, Ames Dr. Jim Arnold, Ames Dr. George Studor, JSC Budget: Approx. $3K NASA Donations: Space Shuttle Heatshield Tile Thermocouples NASA Ames Arc Jet & Plasma Torch Test Facilities (Possible)

3. To design, build, and test a wireless system that can acquire and store spacecraft thermal protection system (heat shield) temperature data during high speed planetary entry using a thermocouple sensor suite embedded in the thermal protection system. Project Goal

4. Design Team will - perform a survey of current state of the art in wireless communication architectures and will select best approach for a high temperature TPS sensor system design; - design a wireless system from off the shelf technology components (e.g., Bluetooth); - demonstrate in a table top set-up the ability to collect and transmit data from collection of sensors embedded in TPS material. Project Outline

5. Design Issues Mass, Power, Data Rate, and Range RF transparency of different TPS materials such as Shuttle tiles which are RF- transparent and PICA (Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator) which is not.

6. A wireless accelerometer system is currently flying on the leading edge of the Space Shuttle wing. Galileo Probe flew Ablation Recession Detector Instrument (ARAD) during 1995 Jupiter Entry. Off the shelf high temperature capable Thermocouples are used both in arc jet testing and in flight data ( Mars Path finder ) collection. Heritage

7. Notes NASA is very interested in flying wireless sensors embedded in CEV (Crew Exploration Vehicle) and MSL (Mars Science Laboratory) heatshields. Possibility of travel to NASA Ames Research Center over Spring Break for testing at Ames Arc Jet Facility