Abstract: Thermal protection systems (TPS) protect spacecraft from the heating associated with hypersonic flight through a planet’s atmosphere. The materials are subjected to extreme heating and the overall system must be engineered to reliably protect the spacecraft structure during atmospheric entry. The talk will introduce TPS and describe three NASA-led efforts to develop TPS materials and manufacturing processes. The first effort studied thermally stable ceramic aerogels for use in thermal barriers and high temperature seals. A design framework for such materials is proposed, linking the thermal stability performance data with existing material property measurements. The second project, Additive Manufacturing of Thermal Protection Systems (AMTPS), developed an automated, additive approach for ablative heat shield manufacturing. Novel material systems and manufacturing methods were developed to reduce the time required to manufacture ablative TPS heat shields. The third effort tackles a critical challenge of material obsolescence for silica fiber based reusable TPS. The properties and performance of heritage silica fiber are quantified and compared to modern alternatives to support qualification for flight. The talk will also describe other work in TPS conducted by the Thermal Design Branch at NASA JSC and opportunities for students and faculty to get involved with NASA.
Biography: Nate Olson is an aerospace engineer in the Thermal Design Branch at NASA Johnson Space Center with a focus on materials for thermal protection systems. He received his B.S. in chemical engineering from The Ohio State University in 2014 and his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2023. During his graduate studies, he was a NASA Space Technology Research Fellow, working with NASA Glenn Research Center on ceramic aerogels for high temperature applications, and a Pathways Intern at NASA Johnson Space Center developing ablative materials for additive manufacturing. Since joining JSC full-time in 2023, he leads several research & development efforts on thermal protection systems and supports the Orion and Commercial Crew Programs