NASA's Insulation Material Named NASA Government Invention of 2007
- From: baalke@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 17:15:07 -0700 (PDT)
May 13, 2008
Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1761
sonja.r.alexander@xxxxxxxx
Rachel Prucey
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
650-604-0643
rachel.l.prucey@xxxxxxxx
RELEASE: 08-123
NASA'S INSULATION MATERIAL NAMED NASA GOVERNMENT INVENTION OF 2007
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- The 2007 NASA Government Invention of the
Year 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) 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,
according to project engineers at NASA's Ames Research Center at
Moffett Field, Calif. 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. "This is indeed an honor and I'm very proud of the Ames
team that developed this critical technology."
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 quickly are 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.
PICA is planned for use as the heat shield on the new Orion crew
vehicle and the Mars Science Laboratory mission. Other LCAs were used
to protect the Mars rovers during their descent to the surface of the
Red Planet.
NASA's general counsel selects the Invention of the Year Award with
technical assistance from NASA's Inventions and Contributions Board.
For more information about NASA's Inventions and Contributions Board,
visit:
http://icb.nasa.gov
For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
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