Abstract
The capability of elastomeric ablative thermal shield materials to meet the system requirements for lifting re-entry vehicles having lift-to-drag ratios of 0.5 to 1.5 when entering the earth's atmosphere from near earth orbits is investigated. Chemically blown phenyl-methyl silicone elastomeric foams are examined and compared with a representative elastomeric syntactic foam. The thermo-mechanical compatibility, high-temperature stability, environmental resistance of the chemically-blown elastomeric foam ablative, and its resistance to ablation and degradation at the relatively low-heat-flux, long-time heating conditions of lifting re-entry vehicles, are presented. Equilibrium glide trajectories, heating environments, and shear forces are shown for representative re-entry conditions. Ablation-insulation material weights are calculated from experimental data. A structural weight tradeoff is made for aluminum and titanium sheet-stringer construction. The extreme low temperature capability and compatibility of the chemically-blown phenyl methyl silicone elastomeric foam with metal structures are examined for temperatures of — 290°F. Fabrication and attachment methods are discussed.
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