Adaptive Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT)

The ADEPT project is a new, advanced heat shield design to protect payloads and landers delivered to planetary bodies with atmospheres. ADEPT is a mechanically deployable heatshield, like an umbrella, that can open up at planet arrival to diameters 2-5 times greater than current rigid heatshields. This large size overcomes the current limitations of NASA's heatshields to enable delivery of 10s of metric tons to Mars' surface - essential for human exploration.

NASA unfunded: Low ballistic mechanically deployable enables nanoSat (~5kg) SMD missions with EDL secondary payload packaging constraints. ADEPT at 2-5m scale with lifting capability can enable Titan aerocapture, Venus missions, and potential OP missions for SMD. Strong potential enabler for 20mT Mars Exploration EDL at large (>15m) scale.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.