Ballistic Performance of Porous-Ceramic, Thermal-Protection-SystemsPorous-ceramic, thermal protection systems are used heavily in current reentry vehicles like the Space Shuttle and are currently being proposed for the next generation of manned spacecraft, Orion. These materials insulate the structural components of a spacecraft against the intense thermal environments of atmospheric reentry. Furthermore, these materials are also highly exposed to space environmental hazards like meteoroid and orbital debris impacts. This paper discusses recent impact testing up to 9 km/s, and the findings of the influence of material equation-of-state on the simulation of the impact event to characterize the ballistic performance of these materials. These results will be compared with heritage models1 for these materials developed from testing at lower velocities. Assessments of predicted spacecraft risk based upon these tests and simulations will also be discussed.
Document ID
20090024823
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Christiansen, E. L. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Davis, B. A. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Miller, J. E. (Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. United States)
Bohl, W. E. (Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. United States)
Foreman, C. D. (Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Science Solutions United States)