Use materials science engineering to determine heat resistance

Crew and cargo returning from the International Space Station must be protected from the heat generated during the capsule’s descent. This lesson plan on materials science and engineering begins with students exploring the properties of different materials used to construct heat shields. Then, they run trials with samples to collect heat resistance data. Finally, students feed their data into a model to simulate how well their capsule is protected during its descent.

Materials developed in partnership with the NASA STEM on Station team.

Teacher resources

• Build instructions
• Excel workbook
• Materials list
• Board code