NASA is conducting tests of new heat shield technologies designed to ensure astronaut safety during return from missions to the Moon and Mars. An unconventional testing method involved the use of decommissioned cargo: during undocking from the International Space Station, the Northrop Grumman cargo spacecraft, as part of NASA's 24th resupply mission, delivered a fleet of 12 small experimental capsules to orbit. These capsules are designed to test various materials and heat shield designs under conditions approximating actual atmospheric re-entry. Such tests help NASA engineers collect data on the performance of protective systems at high temperatures and loads encountered during spacecraft return to Earth. The results of the experiments will be used in developing future crewed missions, including planned Moon flights under the Artemis program and prospective missions to Mars. The project demonstrates NASA's approach to using decommissioned equipment for conducting affordable yet informative tests of new technologies, allowing the agency to accelerate the development of systems critical to the safety of future crews.