Effects of soft foam insulation impact

High temperature reusable surface insulation (HTRSI) tiles were impacted by a variety of foam insulation materials typical of the debris expected to strike the shuttle orbiter during the initial phases of flight. Failure of the HIRSI coating was strongly dependent on the density and size of the projectile. The failure threshold was as low as 140 ft/sec for rubber and as high as 740 ft/sec for styrofoam. In addition, the impact pressure was measured for a variety of debris materials as a function of velocity.