The 3-Dimensional Multifunctional Ablative Thermal Protection System (3D-MAT) is a thermal protection material developed as a critical component of Orion, NASA's newest spacecraft built for human deep space missions. It is able to maintain a high level of strength while enduring extreme temperatures during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere at the end of Artemis missions to the moon.

3D-MAT has become an essential piece of technology for NASA's Artemis campaign that will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration on the moon and prepare for human expeditions to Mars, for the benefit of all.

The 3D-MAT project emerged from a technical problem in early designs of the Orion spacecraft. The compression pad—the connective interface between the crew module, where astronauts reside, and the service module carrying power, propulsion, supplies, and more—was exhibiting issues during Orion's first test flight, Exploration Flight Test-1, in 2014.

NASA engineers realized they needed to find a new material for the compression pad that could hold these different components of Orion together while withstanding the extremely high temperatures of atmospheric re-entry.

NASA has carved out more time to talk through problems with its attempt to send up astronauts on Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, which is now targeting June 1 if mission managers give the go for launch.

The new date announced late May 22 is just a placeholder, though, as NASA has yet to sign off on issues that were found during a launch attempt earlier this month. If NASA does give the OK, the Crew Flight Test mission would aim for a 12:25 p.m. liftoff with backup options on June 2, 5 and 6.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams would climb back on board the Starliner spacecraft sitting atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41. The goal is to test out the spacecraft flying with humans on board for the first time as it docks with the International Space Station for about an eight-day stay before a return trip to Earth landing in the desert in the western United States.

The pair had suited up and come within two hours of a launch back on May 6, but a fluttering valve on the ULA rocket's upper stage forced a scrub of the launch attempt with mission managers deciding to roll the rocket back to ULA's nearby Vertical Integration Facility to replace the valve.