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Flexible Ablators: Applications and Arcjet TestingFlexible ablators were conceived in 2009 to meet the technology pull for large, human Mars Exploration Class, 23 m diameter hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerators. As described elsewhere, they have been recently undergoing initial technical readiness (TRL) advancement by NASA. The performance limits of flexible ablators in terms of maximum heat rates, pressure and shear remain to be defined. Further, it is hoped that this emerging technology will vastly expand the capability of future NASA missions involving atmospheric entry systems. This paper considers four topics of relevance to flexible ablators: (1) Their potential applications to near/far term human and robotic missions (2) Brief consideration of the balance between heat shield diameter, flexible ablator performance limits, entry vehicle controllability and aft-body shear layer impingement of interest to designers of very large entry vehicles, (3) The approach for developing bonding processes of flexible ablators for use on rigid entry bodies and (4) Design of large arcjet test articles that will enable the testing of flexible ablators in flight-like, combined environments (heat flux, pressure, shear and structural tensile loading). Based on a review of thermal protection system performance requirements for future entry vehicles, it is concluded that flexible ablators have broad applications to conventional, rigid entry body systems and are enabling to large deployable (both inflatable and mechanical) heat shields. Because of the game-changing nature of flexible ablators, it appears that NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) will fund a focused, 3-year TRL advancement of the new materials capable of performance in heat fluxes in the range of 200-600 W/sq. cm. This support will enable the manufacture and use of the large-scale arcjet test designs that will be a key element of this OCT funded activity.
Document ID
20140004894
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Presentation
Authors
Arnold, James O.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Venkatapathy, Ethiraj
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Beck, Robin A S.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Mcguire, Kathy
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Prabhu, Dinesh K.
(Engineering Research and Consulting, Inc. Mountain View, CA, United States)
Gorbunov, Sergey
(Jacobs Technology, Inc. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
May 6, 2014
Publication Date
June 6, 2011
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Composite Materials
Report/Patent Number
ARC-E-DAA-TN3591
Report Number: ARC-E-DAA-TN3591
Meeting Information
Meeting: International Planetary Probe Workshop (IPPW-8)
Location: Portsmouth, VA
Country: United States
Start Date: June 6, 2011
End Date: June 10, 2011
Sponsors: Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech., National Inst. of Aerospace, Georgia Inst. of Tech., European Space Agency, NASA Headquarters, Idaho Univ.
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNA10DE12C
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNA09DB39C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
Thermal Protection
Deployable heat shields
Entry Technology
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