USE OF HONEYCOMB TECHNOLOGY TO SAVE WEIGHT IN COMPOSITE FLEXIBLE BLANKET INSULATION

SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHTS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE VALUE OF FLEXIBLE CERAMIC BLANKETS SUCH AS ADVANCED FLEXIBLE REUSABLE SURFACE INSULATION (AFRS) FOR REENTRY THERMAL PROTECTION ON AREAS EXPOSED TO MODERATE HEATING RATES. OTHER CERAMIC BLANKETS ARE BEING DEVELOPED FOR FUTURE SPACECRAFT SUCH AS THE NASP, SHUTTLE-C, AND AEROASSIST ORBITAL TRANSFER VEHICLES. PITTS AND KOURTIDES (1989) DESCRIBE A HYBRID INSULATION, COMBINING CERAMIC BLANKETS ANDMULTILAYER INSULATIONS (MLI), WHICH COULD REDUCE BLANKET WEIGHT BY 500 G./SQ.M. THE ADVANTAGE IS REALIZED BECAUSE MLIS ARE APPROXIMATELY 100 TIMES LESS CONDUCTIVE THAN CERAMIC BLANKETS. THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE FURTHUR IMPROVEMENTS IN MLIS MADE POSSIBLE BY SUBSTITUTIN HONEYCOMB SEPARATORS FOR THE SCRIM OR CRINKLED KAPTON CURRENTY USED INMLIS. THE FLEXIBLE HONEYCOMB LAYERS, WHICH MAY BE PRODUCED FROM POLYMERIC OR CERAMIC MATERIALS, ARE EXPECTED TO BE MOREDURABLE THAN THE CRINKLED KAPTON AND SINGIFICANTLY LIGHTER THAN SCRIM. THE ADDITIONAL WEIGHT SAVED THROUGH THE USE OF HONEYCOMB COULD EXCEED 700 G./SQ.M. THE WORK WILL INCLUDE THERMAL-CONDUCTIVITY MEASUREMENTS OF SAMPLES AT TEMPERATURESOF 300 DEGREES TO 1300 DEGREES KILIMETERS AND PRESSURES OF 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 ATMOSPHERE PRESSURE. THE DATA WILL BE INCORPORATED IN A COMPUTER MODEL TO PREDICT BENEFITS TO NASA MISSIONS. SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHTS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE VALUE OF FLEXIBLE CERAMIC BLANKETS SUCH AS ADVANCED FLEXIBLE REUSABLE SURFACE INSULATION (AFRS) FOR REENTRY THERMAL PROTECTION ON AREAS EXPOSED TO MODERATE HEATING RATES. OTHER CERAMIC BLANKETS ARE BEING DEVELOPED FOR FUTURE SPACECRAFT SUCH AS THE NASP, SHUTTLE-C, AND AEROASSIST ORBITAL TRANSFER VEHICLES. PITTS AND KOURTIDES (1989) DESCRIBE A HYBRID INSULATION, COMBINING CERAMIC BLANKETS ANDMULTILAYER INSULATIONS (MLI), WHICH COULD REDUCE BLANKET WEIGHT BY 500 G./SQ.M. THE ADVANTAGE IS REALIZED BECAUSE MLIS ARE APPROXIMATELY 100 TIMES LESS CONDUCTIVE THAN CERAMIC BLANKETS. THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE FURTHUR IMPROVEMENTS IN MLIS MADE POSSIBLE BY SUBSTITUTIN HONEYCOMB SEPARATORS FOR THE SCRIM OR CRINKLED KAPTON CURRENTY USED INMLIS. THE FLEXIBLE HONEYCOMB LAYERS, WHICH MAY BE PRODUCED FROM POLYMERIC OR CERAMIC MATERIALS, ARE EXPECTED TO BE MOREDURABLE THAN THE CRINKLED KAPTON AND SINGIFICANTLY LIGHTER THAN SCRIM. THE ADDITIONAL WEIGHT SAVED THROUGH THE USE OF HONEYCOMB COULD EXCEED 700 G./SQ.M. THE WORK WILL INCLUDE THERMAL-CONDUCTIVITY MEASUREMENTS OF SAMPLES AT TEMPERATURESOF 300 DEGREES TO 1300 DEGREES KILIMETERS AND PRESSURES OF 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 ATMOSPHERE PRESSURE. THE DATA WILL BE INCORPORATED IN A COMPUTER MODEL TO PREDICT BENEFITS TO NASA MISSIONS.