Active gas-exuding heat shield for spacecraft atmospheric entry and reentry

An active thermal protection system for a spacecraft during atmospheric entry or reentry through a planetary atmosphere, comprising:

• a working gas containment tank configured to store a working gas;
• a master control valve (MCV) fluidly connected to the working gas containment tank;
• a distribution system fluidly connected to the MCV, the distribution system comprising:
• a plurality of distribution manifolds (DMs), and
• a gas dispenser unit (GDU) or a plurality of gas dispenser units (GDUs) each positioned on an exterior surface of the spacecraft and fluidly connected to the DMs, wherein each GDU comprises one or more discrete nozzle orifices configured to direct the working gas in controlled patterns;
• a shield control unit (SCU) operatively connected to the DMs and configured to control gas flow to the GDUs across a plurality of surface zones of the spacecraft;
• and
• wherein each of the GDUs are configured to exude the working gas in an open-loop manner to create a protective gas envelope that insulates the spacecraft surface from direct contact with high-temperature atmospheric gases and deflects said gases away from the spacecraft surface during atmospheric entry or reentry, thereby preventing said high-temperature gases from reaching the spacecraft surface.