Tokyo Team Demonstrates Pulsed Magnetic Aerobraking to Expand Reentry Shock Layers
Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a new laboratory system to test magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) aerobraking, a technique that uses magnetic fields to push superheated plasma away from spacecraft during atmospheric reentry. Led by Associate Professor Kohei Shimamura, the team replaced traditional permanent magnets with a pulsed electromagnet system capable of generating fields up to 1.58 tesla. In tests using a hypersonic expansion tube, this magnetic field expanded the shock layer around miniature models by approximately 16%, potentially reducing heat transfer and increasing aerodynamic drag. While not a flight-ready shield, this setup allows for precise, variable testing of magnetic configurations that were previously impossible with fixed permanent magnets, marking a significant step toward future reusable spacecraft thermal protection.