WARS Spyder / Thermal System Sensor

WARS is a low SWaP, multi-channel, non-contact temperature measurement system capable of measuring temperatures from approximately 115°C – 3,000°C (240°F – 5,400°F). The system solves many of the problems associated with making temperature measurements of high temperature structures in reentry or high speed flight. WARS provides a system that can measure higher temperatures, and do so with more reliability than traditional surface-mounted sensors, as well as greatly improved vehicle integration. This significant increase in extreme temperature measurement capability promises a significant increase in the ROI of flight tests through increased characterization of the vehicle response to the flight environment (as well as indirect characterization of the flight environment, which can be difficult to predict depending on the trajectory and/or atmosphere of interest).

Insomuch as commercial companies develop vehicles that reenter Earth’s atmosphere from cislunar space, they will undoubtedly need to verify the performance of thermal protection systems and/or hot structures. The WARS enables increased reliability of making temperature measurements on structures >2,600°F, with greatly reduced EMI sensitivity, and would therefore be of great utility for those applications. The same is true for LEO/suborbital vehicles, though the likelihood is that vehicle temperatures are lower and WARS is less necessary.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — 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.

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