1. THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY
FOR FUTURE PLANETARY MISSIONS
Abstract
Future generation reusable re-entry vehicles must be capable of sustaining
consistent repeated aero thermal loads without damage. This means that such
structures should be able to withstand high temperatures engendered by aero-
thermal re-entry fluxes due to the establishment of a hypersonic regime over the
body. Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) are used to maintain a reusable launch
vehicle structural temperature within acceptable limits during re-entry flights; that
is external temperature should not be higher than the limit required by the internal
structure. TPS are usually composed of several layers of different materials. Heat
transfer through a multilayer insulation during atmospheric re-entry involves
combined modes of heat transfer: heat conduction and radiation through the solid,
heat radiation to the outer space etc. In this paper a procedure has been set up to
calculate the transient temperature distribution on the surface of a reentry vehicle
(RV), with simulation of aerodynamic heating in the free molecule, transition, one-
dimensional transient heat conduction into the heat shield, and re-radiation
Keywords: aerodynamicheating, TPS, abliativeTPS and reusableTBS
MARTINA
15134431
2. REFERENCES:
1. Orbiter Thermal Protection System(Alvaro Rodrigue, Cooper Snapp)-2009,NASA
2. Two-Dimensional Finite Element Ablative Thermal Response Analysis of an Arcjet
Stagnation Test John A. Dec,Bernard Laub(2010-NASA Langley Research Center,
Hampton, Virginia, 23681)
3. Heat Transfer in High Temperature Multilayer Insulation(Kamran Daryabeigi, Stephen D.
Miller, George R. Cunnington (NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, U.S.A.)
4. Thermal Protection System Technology and Facility Needs for Demanding Future Planetary
Missions(B. Laub and E. Venkatapathy NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA
94035)
5. http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/sts_sys.html
6. ULTRAMET - Thermal Protection Systems www.ultramet.com
7. NASA - Search Results search.nasa.gov
