Nonablative Re-Entry Thermal Protection System

This project considers an innovative nonablative thermal protection system for the stagnation regions of reentry bodies. With this system, the size and shape of the stagnation regions remain fixed throughout the re-entry trajectory. Project objectives are: to establish design and performance characteristics of the thermal protection system, to assess system feasibility, and to identify key technology requirements. Parametric studies will be carried out to identify optimum values of heat-transfer-related design variables. Materials, temperatures, and dimensions will be selected to assure adequate heat transport capability from the stagnation region. The thermal protection structure will be designed to withstand thermal and mechanical stresses without buckling or mechanical failure. It is anticipated that the study results will show that the innovative thermal protection system can provide adequate protection for stagnation regions during reentry without size or shape changes.