Ablative thermal protection systems (2012-2014)

The aims of this proposal are to perform a series of experiments on models of ablating reentry heat shields, and to develop and validate associated theoretical modeling and analysis tools. The experiments will target the atmospheres of earth, Mars, Venus, Titan and the gas giants. The output will form a resource of calibrated experimental data and analysis tools which will form a benchmark for the design of the advanced hypervelocity flight vehicles which are currently foreshadowed by the space community. Without the detailed understanding which such research creates, these vehicles have to be designed with large safety factors in the thermal protection systems, the mass penalty of which severely limits their function.