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Problem Statement and Objectives
In support of the In-Space
Propulsion Technologies (ISPT) Aerocapture Project, NASA/JSC and
NASA/LaRC needed to define charring ablators available for use
on aero-assist missions to Titan, Neptune, and other deep-space
destinations, and define aeroshell structures that can meet
mission requirements and are most compatible with these
ablators.
ARA was called in to support this initiative and provided the
following:
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produced a subscale
demonstration unit
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ran solar radiation tests
of candidate ablators to evaluate and rank performance
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produced and tested TPS
materials for Mars missions
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tested, characterized, and
modeled ablator performance in nitrogen as well as air
atmospheres
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tested ablators with
in-situ recession gauges supplied by NASA/Ames
-
tested ablator-to-adhesive
bond strengths to support adhesive selection for flight
missions and to provide data for manufacturing process
development
Results and Benefits
Determined best candidates for
heat-shield materials built upon successful ablative
materials of past NASA projects.
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Ellipsed charring ablator shield
produced by SCBA manufacturing process using sub-assemblies of laser
milled ablator strip-collars. |
