German Start-Up Tests Inflatable Heat Shield in Orbit

A German space start-up has completed its first orbital test of a new heat shield concept, potentially marking a shift in how spacecraft may manage atmospheric re-entry in the future.

On 22 April, SpaceX’s Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission launched from Cape Canaveral carrying a variety of payloads—including Phoenix 1, the inaugural test capsule from Germany-based ATMOS Space GmbH. This marked the company’s first orbital trial of an inflatable aerodynamic decelerator (IAD), a technology with the potential to complement or eventually rival traditional re-entry heat shield systems.

Most spacecraft returning from low Earth orbit today rely on either tile-based thermal protection systems…

May 13th, 2025

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