Mars Science Laboratory Heatshield Development, Implementation, and Lessons Learned

Abstract

The Mars Science Laboratory is a scientific mission that placed a 900 kg rover with 10 science instruments on the surface of Mars. A key component for landing on the surface of Mars is the aeroshell, which decelerates the entry vehicle to just 1% of its initial kinetic energy at atmospheric entry. The forward portion of the aeroshell is the heatshield, which must be designed to withstand the pressure, heating, and shear stresses it experiences during the atmospheric deceleration process. The original thermal protection system chosen for the heatshield, SLA-561V, was the material used on all previous Mars aeroshells but required new qualification testing. Unfortunately, the material failed testing in the more extreme environment three months after the aeroshell and project critical design reviews. A rapid decision was required to switch to another material under test by the Orion program called phenolic impregnated carbon ablator. With 18 months left to design, fabricate, test, and deliver this new heatshield for the 2009 launch opportunity, the heatshield team had to rapidly respond to the challenge and work in a manner that ensured success. Lessons learned can be had from both the failure of the original SLA-561V design and the success of the phenolic impregnated carbon ablator implementation.