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All spacecraft reentering the Earth’s atmosphere come in at hypersonic speeds and must withstand intense heat from atmospheric drag. Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) protect the spacecraft structure, astronauts and cargo during reentry. Current heat shields use discrete, segmented, heat shield tiles that are adhesively bonded to the underlying structure in a single layer. This system is labor- and time-intensive. 

This technology builds on ORNL’s leadership in thermoset additive manufacturing. This innovative system offers a solution: a set of novel ablative TPS materials made suitable for deposition by additive manufacturing (AM), allowing for automated deposition of ablative TPS onto large and complex surfaces.

Description

As the United States prioritizes expanding the exploration and understanding of space, improving upon existing equipment is essential. Commercial space is largely focused on launch capability and has made great strides. The next great challenge is in re-entry and TPS; much of the current TPS relies on decades old technology dating from the Shuttle or even Apollo eras. It is vital to protect spacecraft from high heat and pressure fluxes they experience. One class of TPS is ablators which char and flake away thereby removing heat from the system during reentry. Ablative materials burn off during atmospheric reentry to insulate and deflect heat from the spacecraft, a crucial component of TPS.

This novel system enables the faster delivery of ablative TPS material over large and complex surfaces. In comparison to the highly manual processes used currently, AM is expected to be cheaper than fabricating and attaching individually bonded, segmented tiles. In addition, the materials developed here can be processed by casting or other methods. The heat shield can be 3-D printed onto an internal support structure, or over strain-isolation pads and bonding aids, without debonding after curing.

Benefits

• Reduced costs
• Faster build
• Improved quality
• Use of automation to ensure consistency 
• Monolithic fabrication (no exposed edges)
• Graded formulations

Applications and Industry

• Spacecraft and aircraft
• Suitable for passive fire protection and industrial ovens

Contact

To learn more about this technology, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call 865-574-1051.