The problem
Aircraft and spacecraft need to connect and release parts quickly and reliably. Mechanical release pins wear and can bind, and releases for carried payloads often use pyrotechnics, which bring safety handling of their own. In space, couplers also face abrasive dust and very wide temperature swings.
How coded magnets help
Correlated Magnetics Research's blog reposts two NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center items. In one, NASA tested a magnetic release mechanism that carried a small Prandtl-M glider under a remotely piloted aircraft and released it; it was first tested in December 2021 and again in September 2022, with five successful releases in a row, and the pilots reported a smoother, more reliable release than earlier mechanical designs. CMR presents this as a Polymagnet payload release. NASA stated a goal of a mechanism able to secure and release up to 500 pounds.
In the second, NASA's dust-tolerant magnetic coupler for cryogenic fluids used patterned magnets developed by CMR. CMR says it worked with NASA from 2020 to 2022 on 0.6 inch thick samarium cobalt Polymagnets for the coupler, which kept force and function above 140 C and below -180 C. NASA's report notes printed poles keep magnetic loops tight and reduce EMI concerns. CMR's blog also mentions unique covers for aircraft among its past designs.