THE SPACE SHUTTLE EXTERNAL FUEL TANK (ET) is covered with a Thermal Protection System (TPS). The TPS materials are designed to prevent structural overheating during ascent/descent and maintain good quality cryogenic propellents until main engine cut off.The primary TPS materials consist of a nonmetallic rigid foam and a composite ablator. These materials and processes were developed through an evolutionary procedure, driven by changing requirements, definitions, and progressively increasing delivery rates. The evolution, from contract start in 1973 to the present, is reviewed.
Origin and Development of Ablator for Space Shuttle External Tank
Sae Technical Papers
Intersociety Conference on Environmental Systems ; 1985
1985-07-01
Conference paper
English
Apollo composite ablator material used on Space Shuttle
AIAA | 1982
|NTRS | 1973
|Space Shuttle External Tank Instrumentation Evaluation
NTIS | 1979
|Space Shuttle with Improved External Propellant Tank
NTIS | 1982
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