Space Shuttle Heat Shield Material

These shields work by covering a large rounded surface with compounds that when.

Space shuttle heat shield material.

An astronaut on a spacewalk would dab the wash on a damaged tile with a tool that looks like a shoe polish applicator. The space shuttle thermal protection system tps is the barrier that protected the space shuttle orbiter during the searing 1 650 c 3 000 f heat of atmospheric reentry a secondary goal was to protect from the heat and cold of space while in orbit. Why the space shuttle can withstand reentry temperatures up to 2 300 degrees. We had been doing work on tiles for a reusable system like the space shuttle.

When the space shuttle de orbits and begins to return to earth it faces a serious problem due. This nasa video segment explores how the space shuttle is able to go from frigid temperatures in space to extremely hot temperatures when entering the earths. Nasa employed 44 sensors across the wings of the space shuttles to provide real time data to the astronauts on board. When i was a new branch chief at nasa ames i came to the conclusion that we needed some advanced heat shield material.

For the space shuttle depends on two things light weight and the ability to withstand the high temperatures of reentry. Ground tests indicate that the material can increase the amount of heat that a damaged tile radiates by about 70 to 160 degrees. Protecting the shuttle and the crew from such heat is very important. According to sarver nasa must complete the advanced heat shield development work by 2009 in order to be ready for orion s first flight that possibly could be in.

A thermal soak heat shield uses an insulating material to absorb and radiate the heat away from the spacecraft structure. This type was used on the space shuttle consisting of ceramic or composite tiles over most of the vehicle surface with reinforced carbon carbon material on the highest heat load points the nose and wing leading edges. Recorded this video during my ksc tour 1 day before the launch of the atlantis space shuttle for sts 135 the last space shuttle mission. We don t know what the final advanced heat shield material will be until the testing and analysis is complete said george sarver manager of ames orion ares support project.