Comparison of Materials for Integrated Thermal Protection Systems for Spacecraft Reentry

An integrated thermal protection system (ITPS) for spacecraft reentry based on a corrugated core sandwich panel concept fulfilling both thermal and structural functions is optimized for minimal mass. We seek the optimal dimensions as well as the best materials, but directly optimizing both continuous geometric parameters and discrete material choices is relatively complex. Accordingly the optimization problem is solved in two steps. In a first step, good candidate materials are selected based mainly on their thermal performance. For this purpose a response surface approximation of the maximum bottom face sheet temperature is used. Mild simplifying assumptions allowed reducing the number of variables in the approximation to two nondimensional variables. In combination with a material database, this allowed graphical comparison of materials for the different sections of the ITPS panel. In a second part the geometry of the ITPS is optimized for different combinations of good potential materials from step one. This optimization considers both thermal and structural constraints. An ITPS panel based on alumino-silicate/Nextel 720 composites for top face sheet and web and beryllium for bottom face sheet was found to provide the lightest design.

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