Reliability requirements for a Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission are several orders of magnitude more stringent than any mission flown to date. This requirement drove the current MSR design to a fully dense Carbon Phenolic TPS; however, recent advances in 3D Woven TPS technologies merit a re-opening of this design trade to achieve the highest system reliability possible. We will generate data to be used in a RIDM framework, evaluate current MSR EEV TPS and alternatives within the RIDM framework, rank & recommend a TPS solution, and develop a risk retirement strategy for the recommended TPS solution.
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