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Space Forum / Shuttle / February 2007Best Tech Heat Shield
The Space Shuttle heat shield has changed over time. Basically they have replaced tiles with things requiring less maintence on the less critical (cooler) areas. However, the hottest areas remain tiles. Suppose someone were to make a shuttle-like craft today. What would they use for a heat shield on the hottest areas. Would they use more reinforced carbon-carbon in the construction? Are there any better things than the current tile system? -Curious -Marcela Duong >The Space Shuttle heat shield has changed over time. Basically they >have replaced tiles with things requiring less maintence on the less [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >-Curious >-Marcela Duong Actually, heat shields are no longer necessary. I was involved with an experiment using the carbon tethered space elevator last November. We were able to raise a 20 pound payload into low earth orbit using the space elevator platform just off the coast of Brazil. The tether was raised by helium baloons and then small rockets to lower orbit. I'd tell more but some of it was classified for military reasons. <snip> > Actually, heat shields are no longer necessary. I was involved with > an experiment using the carbon tethered space elevator last November. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > was raised by helium baloons and then small rockets to lower orbit. > I'd tell more but some of it was classified for military reasons. Is the classified part where you swooped down in your X-Wing, threw a rope around the payload, and zoomed back into orbit? > The Space Shuttle heat shield has changed over time. Basically they > have replaced tiles with things requiring less maintence on the less [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > -Curious > -Marcela Duong I worked on the Orbital Space Plane at NASA before it was cancelled. Shuttle technology is still a viable heat shield. Lockheed was looking into a higher lift over drag space craft that had a thinner wing. The thinner wings leading edge gets hotter than a shuttle (reentry heat is a strong function of the radius of curvature -- pointier objects are hotter). For this they were looking into a new ceramic that is in early development. The problems is this stuff is REALLY soft and is easily damaged. After Columbia, we pretty much decided a heat shield that is easily damaged is not a good idea. This was a major driver to go back to capsules. You can hit an ablative heat shield with a baseball bat and it will not cause damage. Shuttle tiles and RCC are fragile. Danny Deger |
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