COMPENDIUM OF HEATSHIELD MATERIAL PROPERTY DATA

A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM (TPS) MATERIAL CAN BE REMOVED BY ABLATIVE AND MECHANICAL EROSION. THIS CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OR STABILITY AND ACCURACY PROBLEMS OF REENTRY VEHICLES. THE TPS MUST BE ABLE TO PROTECT THE SUBSTRUCTURE AND INTERNAL COMPONENTS FROM DAMAGE INCURRED BY AERODYNAMIC HEATING AND PARTICLE IMPACT BUT NOT SUFFER WEIGHT PENALTIES ASSOCIATED WITH "OVERKILL" DESIGNS. TO ACCURATELY ASSESS REQUIRED HEATSHIELD THICKNESS, A MODEL THAT CAN PREDICT ABLATION AND EROSION RECESSION AND INDEPTH THERMAL RESPONSE OF HEATSHIELD MATERIALS IS NECESSARY. EFFICIENT AND ACCURATE MODELING CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED IF TEST DATA CONSISTING OF PHYSICAL, MECHANICAL AND THERMAL PROPERTIES AND EROSION AND ABLATION RECESSIONS IS AVAILABLE. ACCUMULATED PROPERTY DATA WOULDBE ASSESSED FOR APPLICATION IN REENTRY VEHICLE DESIGN PREDICTIONS. FINALLY, A PROCEDURE WOULD BE GIVEN TO INCREASE THE ACCURACY OF THERMAL ABLATION AND MECHANICAL EROSION RECESSION RESPONSE MODELS.