Andrews Space recently completed a third round of arc jet testing at NASA Ames Research Center on a new high-temperature material for high-speed and atmospheric re-entry applications, the Seattle-based space technology company said March 25.
Andrews President and Chief Executive Jason Andrews said the material has been in development since 2007 under multiple government contracts and has a range of applications, including large curved thermal protection panels for reusable launch vehicles and deployable surfaces for re-entry or high-speed vehicles.
The new phase-change materials are designed to remain flexible at room and cryogenic temperatures but become rigid in the presence of heat with tensile strength comparable to aluminum alloys, Andrews Space said in a press release.
