Materials/Thermal protection
Thermal protection
thermal-protectionWhat this is
Heat shields, tiles, blankets, aerogels and multilayer insulation.
They keep re-entry heat out and keep spacecraft temperatures stable. The key questions are what temperature they survive and what they weigh.
Types
Pick a type to see its materials.
| Type | Materials | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Ablators | none yet | — |
| Reusable tiles | none yet | — |
| Flexible blankets | none yet | — |
| Aerogels | 1 | — |
| Multi-layer insulation | none yet | — |
What matters
The measurements we use to compare thermal protection. Each one has a standard test and a direction: is higher or lower better?
| Measurement | Better when | How it is tested |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic oxygen erosionHow fast low-orbit oxygen eats the surface | lower | Flight (MISSE); ground ASTM E2089 |
| Maximum service temperatureHottest it can work long term | higher | Material-specific |