Optimum TPS Design with Rei-mullite

It has been shown that a ceramic mullite fiber/mullite insulation has adequate margins-of-safety based on minimum strengths for the critical thermostructural conditions of the shuttle mission. Introduction into the design of the new lower density foam bond material provides cold soak and cold entry capability at 116 K (-250 F). Finally, design solutions to the coating cracking tendencies have been identified and the solution analytically verified with three dimensional thermostructural analysis.