Redwire and Los Alamos National Laboratory Successfully Complete Demo of Deployable Heat Shield

On November 19, 2025, Redwire and Los Alamos National Laboratory, with assistance from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center, successfully completed the demonstration of a new deployable aeroshell. Deployable heat shields are crucial for protecting spacecraft from the extreme heat encountered at high speeds.

Redwire provided the deployment mechanism and structural aeroshell for the demonstration, while Los Alamos was responsible for the payload and integration. Integration of the aeroshell structure was completed at Redwire‘s newly opened Firestone Rapid Capabilities Facility, located in Albuquerque, NM.

The experiment launched on a UP Aerospace sounding rocket from Spaceport America in New Mexico. The spacecraft exited the atmosphere and ejected the experimental heat shield. Once ejected, the Redwire deployment mechanism received the command to release and deployed the unfolding aeroshell.

The success of the project sets the stage for future, larger, more capable deployable heat shields for increased access to space for spacecraft and experiments, enabling data and payload recovery.

Redwire and Los Alamos National Laboratory plan to continue collaborative efforts. Previous Redwire collaborations include the development of NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID), a new large inflatable heat shield.