The U.S. space agency announced on Tuesday that NASA Government Invention of 2007 is a heat shield material slightly more dense than balsa wood that is designed to protect spacecraft during their fiery re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.
The Lightweight Ceramic Ablator material (LCA) was developed at NASA's Ames Research Center. It is a low-density material that weighs one-fifth as much as conventional heat shields, but can withstand temperatures up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius), according to project engineers.
The material has a foundation made of fibers coated with a thin layer of organic polymeric resin. The resin, traditionally used as a bonding agent, creates a light, durable, heat-resistant shield.
"This material will play a key role in NASA's future space missions as we mount human and robotic missions to the moon, asteroids, Mars and throughout the solar system," said S. Pete Worden, Ames center director in a statement released by NASA.
Because of their durability and low-density, the LCA family of protective materials is expected to play a significant role in future NASA missions every time a spacecraft enters a planetary atmosphere.
The materials are quickly becoming the industry standard for heat shields on commercial spacecraft. The invention may lead to the application of heat shields specially tailored for broader commercial and government applications.
NASA applied a type of this innovative heat shield material, the Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA), on the Stardust sample return capsule, which brought back to Earth the first comet particles and interstellar dust samples in January 2006. Stardust holds the record for the fastest Earth re-entry speed of any human-made object.
In the future, PICA is planned for use as the heat shield on NASA'S new Orion crew vehicle and the Mars Science Laboratory mission.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article