United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

Jeremy J Thornton

Margaret M Stackpoole

Ehson M Ghandehari

Melmoth Alan Covington

Susan M White

Wenhong Fan

Robin A Beck

James O Arnold

Methods for producing a flexible, fibrous ablator thermal protection material, for use in association with a space vehicle that passes through an atmosphere in which severe heating is experienced. A phenolic resin and/or a silicone resin can be used. The elastic modulus of the resulting material is low, in a preferred range of about 200-5000 kPa, and can be controlled by choice of a curing temperature and/or a time interval length for curing.

Flexible ablator for thermal protection

A method for preparing a flexible low-density thermal protection material, the method comprising providing a flexible substrate and a pyrolizable material impregnated therein. The thermal protection material remains flexible after impregnation and continues to remain flexible when the pyrolizable material is fully pyrolized.

Method of fabricating a flexible, low-density thermal protection material

A low-density article comprising a flexible substrate and a pyrolizable material impregnated therein, methods of preparing, and devices using the article are disclosed. The pyrolizable material pyrolizes above 350 C and does not flow at temperatures below the pyrolysis temperature. The low-density article remains flexible after impregnation and continues to remain flexible when the pyrolizable material is fully pyrolized.

Flexible ablators

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Gardena, CA, United States of America

Jeremy J Thornton