MSL Entry, Descent, and Landing Instrumentation (MEDLI) is a package of engineering sensors embedded in the heat shield of the spacecraft that delivered the Curiosity rover to Mars. It gathered critical data on atmospheric pressure and thermal heating during the hypersonic entry phase. Engineers use this telemetry to validate aerodynamic models and design lighter, more efficient heat shields for future planetary missions.
Heard on the job
MEDLI data showed the heat shield temperatures were well within our predicted margins during peak heating.