SEATTLE, Dec. 20, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Andrews Space announced today that it has developed and tested new materials for enabling advanced thermal protection systems. The tests, conducted at the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) arc-jet facility as part of a NASA Phase II SBIR to develop lightweight ballute designs, identified new materials that can be used to enable thermal protection systems for non-rigid aerosurfaces.
One of the unique challenges of the ballute design is developing a lightweight flexible material that can withstand reentry heating. Traditional ballute designs use several layers of Nextel fabric with insulating layers of Kapton and Kevlar structural backing. Andrews is developing lighter weight designs using thinner materials and transpiration cooling (the effect of using a gas to cool the surface and 'transport' heat).
"The goal of our transpiration-cooled TPS design is to reduce the mass of the ballute TPS system by 20% over traditional, purely insulative solutions," said Dr. Dana Andrews, Andrews Chief Technology Officer.
Andrews Space has developed and is experimenting with materials that change properties when heated. The leading material designs combine a fabric matrix with pre-ceramic polymers. At room temperature, the material is flexible and is easily packaged in a small volume. However, when heated, the material properties change and the fabric becomes rigid, and in certain conditions porous, allowing gas to escape to provide transpiration cooling. When the ballute is past peak heating and the temperatures drop, the coating becomes impermeable again.
Working with the University of Washington, Andrews Space developed over 20 different material samples. Each of these samples was tested in the NASA ARC arc-jet facility at reentry heating conditions (temperatures above 700 degrees C for 300 seconds). The goal of the tests was to identify candidate materials that were nonporous at on-orbit conditions, but then changed during reentry heating to allow gas to escape and provide transpiration cooling.
Results from the first round of arc-jet testing demonstrated several material design approaches that are capable of surviving the high temperatures of reentry. Samples were exposed to the same peak heating conditions that a ballute would experience during reentry, causing the material to react and pyrolyze as expected.
The materials developed by Andrews Space support the ballute design requirements as well as the program objective of enabling a new class of space structures and reentry system designs for Earth return vehicles and planetary probes. Andrews is also investigating other applications of this new material, including using it for inflatable structures like deployable wings, as well as advanced acreage TPS.
About the Company:
Andrews Space, Inc. is a privately-held business founded in 1999 to be a catalyst in the commercialization and development of space. The company is an affordable integrator of aerospace systems and developer of advanced space technologies. Andrews is currently engaged in several launch vehicle and spacecraft development efforts in both the prime and subcontractor role. To learn more, visit www.andrews-space.com.
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