High Temperature Structures With Inherent Protection, Phase I

The hot structures for current space vehicles require an atmospheric entry thermal protection system. Reusable hot structures that can function without requiring any atmospheric entry thermal protection system for space vehicle would constitute a paradigm. A high temperature stable fiber reinforcement and a ceramic material that exhibits atmospheric entry thermal stability can be combined into a composite which possess the mechanical properties to serve as a reusable hot structure that can function without any atmospheric entry thermal protection system. This unique and new ceramic matrix composite (CMC) will be developed and characterized to demonstrate it can meet the requirements of a reusable hot structure for space vehicles which can operate without any atmospheric entry thermal protection system and optimized samples will be delivered for more detailed testing at NASA More »