ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 25 -- United States Patent no. 12,715,621, issued on Aug. 25.
"Active gas-exuding heat shield for spacecraft atmospheric entry and reentry" was invented by Mark Alkire Pruitt (Casper, Wyo.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An active thermal protection system for spacecraft during atmospheric entry or reentry includes a working gas containment tank, a master control valve, distribution manifolds, gas dispenser units positioned on the spacecraft exterior surface, and a shield control unit. The system exudes a working gas through the gas dispenser units to create a protective gas envelope around critical spacecraft surfaces during high-heating phases of atmospheric entry. This...