Integral Metal Attachment Points for Ceramic Composite High Speed Vehicles

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI), Concurrent Technologies (CTC) and a vehicle integrator have developed a program to mature and transition PSI integral metal attachment points for use in fiber reinforced structures for hypersonic vehicles. The team will optimize the attachment technology for use throughout the community for hypersonic and other vehicle missions, such as rocket components. The proposed technology development will mature a new joining process of high temperature composite materials and traditional aerospace metals. Successful transition of this technology will provide a proven, low cost method of assembling the complex aeroshell structures and sub-components meeting hypersonic systems’ mission requirements. The team will establish production values for strength, thermal conductivity, and other parameters needed for the inclusion of this innovative technology into operational vehicles. The planned technology maturation will provide proven design data and establish the PSI joining approach as reliable means to integrate metals and ceramic composites. This reliability will, in turn, strengthen the Industrial Base for CMC aeroshell structures prior to weapon system Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP). The maturation will also lower acquisition risk and improve the ability of the AF to field an affordable hypersonic weapon system by the mid-2020s.