Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Metallic Thermal Protection Systems for Spaceplane Vehicles

This study presents the design and testing of a metallic thermal protection system (TPS) for future spaceplane vehicles. A conceptual design of the developed metallic TPS panel consisting of an outer sandwich structure, thermal insulation, inner support brackets, and a base framelike structure was redesigned from the metallic TPS panel developed by NASA. The thermal load was selected from a previous study, which was equivalent to the highest surface temperature of 1050 K. Nine metallic TPS prototype panels and supporting hardware structures made of 304 stainless steel were initially prepared for thermomechanical testing in room conditions. A noncontact thermal–mechanical measurement method was employed to measure full-field temperatures and deformations of the inner base structure and supporting hardware structures. The results indicated that the proposed design satisfied the requirements of temperature and permanent deformation limits. Panel-to-panel gaps showed a significant effect on the temperature rise in the inner base structure. The performance of the prototype proved the feasibility, reusability, and durability of using low-cost 304 stainless steel for TPS structures up to four thermal cycles, and may achieve more in further tests. Results provide valuable data for evaluating designs at the early stage of TPS development and testing in space conditions.