Hypothetical Reentry Thermostructural Performance of Space Shuttle Orbiter with Missing or Eroded Thermal Protection Tiles

ABSTRACT This report deals with hypothetical reentry thermostructural performance of the Space Shuttle orbiter withmissing or eroded thermal protection system (TPS) tiles. The original STS-5 heating (normal transition at1100 sec) and the modified STS-5 heating (premature transition at 800 sec) were used as reentry heat inputs. TheTPS missing or eroded site is assumed to be located at the center or corner (spar-rib juncture) of the lower surfaceof wing midspan bay 3. For cases of missing TPS tiles, under the original STS-5 heating, the orbiter can afford tolose only one TPS tile at the center or two TPS tiles at the corner (spar-rib juncture) of the lower surface of wingmidspan bay 3. Under modified STS-5 heating, the orbiter cannot afford to lose even one TPS tile at the center orat the corner of the lower surface of wing midspan bay 3. For cases of eroded TPS tiles, the aluminum skintemperature rises relatively slowly with the decreasing thickness of the eroded central or corner TPS tile until mostof the TPS tile is eroded away, and then increases exponentially toward the missing tile case.

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