Orion heat sheild and other capsules

[cbased]

http://www.buran.ru/other/p-296.zip<br />This link contains some info regarding the history of Buran's design (including thermal protection tests). It also indicates that even though Buran looks similar to Shuttle, Soviet engineers went through the whole design process and extensive tests (using BOR models).<br /><br /><i>And what do the russians use on Soyuz?</i><br />Phenol-Formaldehyde I believe<br />

 

[holmec]

thanks for the info.<br /><br />I heard that Apollo used some asbestos for heat protection in the Modern Marvels episode of the Space Shuttle from the History Channel. Perhaps they were mistaken. I noticed other mistakes in that episode as well. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[windnwar]

What I found most interesting from that article and a couple others I'd found about Avcoat was NASA's main concern about using it again was the fact that it apparently was difficult to reinvent without the original scientists that worked on it. Also that with Orion, because of the larger diameter of the capsule, for moon return landings it would have to survive at least 30% higher heat loads then it had to with apollo. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font size="2" color="#0000ff">""Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." --Albert Einstein"</font></p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Modern Marvels is usually well researched, and consistently entertaining, but I have also noticed errors on occasion. Alas. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>