Boeing has delivered a prototype ablative heatshield for NASA's Orion crew exploration vehicle. Designed to protect the capsule during high-speed re-entry after a lunar direct return, the 5m (16.4ft)-diameter heatshield is fabricated from phenolic impregnated carbon ablator, produced by Maine-based Fiber Materials. Each panel is substantially larger than typical Space Shuttle tiles, reducing parts count and complexity, Boeing says.
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Source: Flight International