An evaluation of ablative materials for a lunar transfer vehicle aerobrakeAn evaluation of the utility of an ablative thermal protection system (TPS) for use on a lunar mission return aerobrake has been completed. Requirements are established and criteria developed specifically for the ablator application. A quantitative and qualitative multi-attribute utility analysis is employed to establish a relative ranking among candidates and a performance threshold. A review of the applicable existing ablator material database is made and appropriate thermochemical/melting ablation analysis is employed to evaluate thermal performance. Ablatives are shown to be potentially both performance capable and cost effective in single-use roles. Reusable surface insulation is also shown to be competitive as an ablator with certain modifications.
Document ID
19930062536
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Lane, J. G. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Salmassy, O. K. (McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Huntington Beach, CA, United States)