Orion Heat Shield Development Demonstration

ennedy Space Center treated press members to a demonstration of the testing equipment used during the development of Orion’s Heat Shield material. Boeing Advanced Systems has completed a development heat shield being used as a manufacturing demonstration unit (MDU). The material being used is constructed from Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Alblator (PICA), produced by Fiber Materials of Biddleford, Maine. This is the very material that was used during the Stardust mission that returned comet samples in January of ‘06. Orion’s heat shield will be made up of nearly 200 PICA blocks. Unlike the tiles used on the space shuttle program, these blocks are much larger and are only used once. The Orion craft will experience reentry temperatures of nearly 5000 degrees Fahrenheit, considerably more than the 2300 degrees experienced by the shuttle. Due to this increased heat, a portion of the tiles will actually vaporize during reentry removing heat away from the structure.

The MDU is currently undergoing nondestructive evaluation testing in Hanger N at Kennedy Space Center. While at Hangar N a series of X-ray examinations are being administered via a 5.5 million dollar robotic scanning assembly. These tests will determine whether or not the PICA material can be effectively produced in their current configuration for use on the shield. Kennedy has also performed Surface Profilometry measurements to get a surface profile scan of the shield material. These scans will be used to compare the manufactured tiles to the original CAD designs for consistency.

After the equipment demonstration (images and videos below) I was able to speak briefly to Dale Thomas, Deputy Manager of the Constellation Program at Johnson Space Center. Mr. Thomas assured me that current testing is on schedule as planned, and that delays in other portions of the Constellation Project have in no way pushed development of Orion back.

Scott

Robotic Testing Assembly Video 1

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