An innovative approach for fully reusable spacecraft suggests making them “sweat” to survive the scorching heat during reentry to Earth’s atmosphere, allowing them to land ready for another flight.
A research team from Texas A&M University has partnered with Canopy Aerospace to develop and test a 3D-printed material that releases or “sweats” a coolant gas to protect spacecraft from the intense heat encountered when travelling back to Earth at high speeds.
This innovative design uses a method called transpiration cooling, whereby a layer of gas is released along the vehicle’s surface that not only cools the spacecraft but also acts as a barrier preventing direct contact with heat generated by friction and compression of atmospheric gases during reentry.
Texas A&M researchers developing innovative heat shield technology stand in front of one of the hypersonics testing tunnels at the National Aerothermochemistry and Hypersonics Laboratory. From left: Dr. Hassan Saad Ifti, Dr. Ivett Leyva and William Matthews. (Image credit: Emily Oswald/Texas A&M Engineering)
Using gas as an insulator for spacecraft could replace traditional, single-use heat shields that burn away or the heat-resistant ceramic tiles that need to be replaced between flights, making spacecraft more fully and rapidly reusableaccording to a statement from Texas A&M University.