How are the orbiter/tank connections protected from heat?

[willpittenger]

The orbiter has to connect to the external tank in three places. How are those locations protected during reentry? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

The only doors on the belly that I knew about were for the landing gear. The umbilical doors must be small. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[mlorrey]

There is a good PDF by Frank Jones that goes through the TPS structures, with some good diagrams:<br /><br />http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/nexgen/Nexgen_Downloads/Jones_on_TPS.pdf<br />

 

[vulture2]

The ET umbilical doors are smaller than the landing gear doors, but are still massive. When both are open their edges almost meet at the midline, where they are held in position by high-temperature-alloy latches that retract flush with the tiles when the ET doors close.