Non-metallic Materials

Summary

The nonmetallic materials branch at Marshall Space Flight Center leads in propulsion technology, focusing on cryogenic insulation, thermal vacuum testing, and thermal protection systems. They operate a unique plasma torch testbed for ablation testing at a fraction of the cost of other methods. The facility develops environmentally compliant TPS materials for current and future space programs, applying materials to large-scale test articles. They also maintain a plasma torch testbed for solid rocket motor plume simulation and validate material changes with subscale solid rocket motors, offering these capabilities to the aerospace industry.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The nonmetallic materials branch at Marshall Space Flight Center is dedicated to the research and development of nonmetallic materials for space applications.
• 🧪 They conduct laboratory, field, and flight experiments to test and develop these materials.
• 📈 The facilities at Marshall are unique and focus on technologies such as cryogenic insulation, thermal vacuum testing, and thermal protection systems.
• 🔥 The plasma torch testbed is an internationally unique facility that simulates solid rocket motor environments to test materials at a fraction of the cost of other methods.
• 🛠️ The thermal protection system development facility is designed to develop environmentally compliant materials and processes for current and future space programs.
• 📊 The facility provides data on material characterization and processing parameters to support large-scale thermal protection system applications.
• 🔩 Marshall has been a leader in propulsion and has developed capabilities that can be used for future programs, drawing on a rich history of expertise.
• 🚀 The capabilities developed for the Space Launch System vehicle can be provided to the aerospace industry for other space vehicles and flight hardware.
• 🧱 The solid rocket motor manufacturing area operates a plasma torch testbed that mimics erosive flow found in solid rocket motor plumes to test material protection.
• 🔄 Subscale solid rocket motors are manufactured and tested to validate material and process changes before implementation on full-scale hardware.
• 🔄 The facility can accommodate different objectives and programs, providing standalone testing capabilities.

Q & A

What does the Nonmetallic Materials Branch focus on?

The Nonmetallic Materials Branch focuses on supporting, directing, and conducting research and development efforts related to nonmetallic materials, including laboratory, field, and flight experiments.

What are some key technologies associated with the facilities at Marshall?

The facilities at Marshall focus on technologies related to cryogenic insulation, ablators, thermal vacuum testing, thermal protection system (TPS) processing capabilities, space resource utilization, solid rocket nozzles, and subscale solid rocket motor processing.

What makes the plasma torch testbed unique?

The plasma torch testbed is internationally unique because it offers reliable, statistically proven data at a fraction of the cost compared to subscale motors or other testbeds, and it simulates solid rocket plume environments through high-temperature plasma jets for thermal and erosive testing.

What kind of data does the plasma torch testbed provide?

The plasma torch testbed provides thermal and erosive testing data of flight materials and allows for the screening of new materials.

How many facilities in the U.S. use the plasma torch for similar applications?

There are at most two facilities in the United States that use the plasma torch for similar applications, but Marshall is believed to be the only one using it for these specific aerospace applications.

What is the role of the Thermal Protection System (TPS) Development Facility?

The TPS Development Facility is designed to develop environmentally compliant thermal protection system materials and processes for current and future space programs, and to characterize materials by providing data on equipment and processing parameters.

What capabilities does the TPS Development Facility offer?

The facility provides the ability to apply primers and spray-on foam insulation materials to large-scale test articles in various orientations, which supports large-scale TPS applications.

What kind of expertise does Marshall provide to the aerospace industry?

Marshall provides expertise in materials, processes, and testing capabilities for space vehicles and flight hardware, particularly in the development of the Space Launch System (SLS).

What is the significance of the subscale solid rocket motors manufactured at Marshall?

Subscale solid rocket motors are used to validate material and process changes before these are implemented in full-scale hardware, allowing for cost-effective testing and experimentation.

How does Marshall accommodate different objectives and programs in its test facilities?

Marshall’s test facilities can accommodate various objectives and programs, providing standalone tests and support for both internal and external aerospace projects.