Thermal protection systems manned spacecraft flight experience

Details Thermal protection systems manned spacecraft flight experience Thermal protection systems manned spacecraft flight experience

Oct 1992

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1992cttp.nasa...19c&link_type=abstract

In NASA. Langley Research Center, Current Technology for Thermal Protection Systems p 19-41 (SEE N93-12447 02-18)

Computer Science

Performance

Aerobraking, Aircraft Construction Materials, Ceramics, Experience, Insulation, Manned Spacecraft, Space Shuttle Orbiters, Thermal Protection, Ablation, Certification, Fabrication, Figure Of Merit, Reusable Heat Shielding, Space Transportation

Scientific paper

Since the first U.S. manned entry, Mercury (May 5, 1961), seventy-five manned entries have been made resulting in significant progress in the understanding and development of Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) for manned rated spacecraft. The TPS materials and systems installed on these spacecraft are compared. The first three vehicles (Mercury, Gemini, Apollo) used ablative (single-use) systems while the Space Shuttle Orbiter TPS is a multimission system. A TPS figure of merit, unit weight lb/sq ft, illustrates the advances in TPS material performance from Mercury (10.2 lb/sq ft) to the Space Shuttle (1.7 lb/sq ft). Significant advances have been made in the design, fabrication, and certification of TPS on manned entry vehicles (Mercury through Shuttle Orbiter). Shuttle experience has identified some key design and operational issues. State-of-the-art ceramic insulation materials developed in the 1970's for the Space Shuttle Orbiter have been used in the initial designs of aerobrakes. This TPS material experience has identified the need to develop a technology base from which a new class of higher temperature materials will emerge for advanced space transportation vehicles.

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