Analytical studies had found the employment of an aerobraking trajectory for return of a reusable Space Tug from geosynchronous missions to be feasible and practical. To establish the minimum-weight ablative dome heat shield, trajectories involving 2 and 30 perigee passes were investigated both analytically and by plasma arc testing. Silicone-base ablators with densities of 15, 30, and 50 lb/cu ft were selected for evaluation. All models withstood the multipass exposures without deleterius surface recession or char erosion. Dome heat shield weights based on optimum ablative compositions indicated that ablators are a highly efficient thermal protection system for these missions.


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    Title :

    Ablative thermal protection for space tug multipass, aerobraking entry


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference ; 1974 ; Las Vegas, NV, US


    Publication date :

    1974-04-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English







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