Thermal Protection Systems R&D
Since the 1990’s when Touchstone assisted NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in the development of MCC-1 TPS for the Space Shuttle’s Solid Fuel Rocket Booster, Touchstone has been thinking about and developing novel concepts for next-generation thermal protection systems for rockets.
Touchstone has developed both ablative and non-ablative TPS systems. Amongst the materials used in the designs are CFOAM carbon foam, carbon aerogels, Silicon Carbide, carbon-carbon, cork, glass beads and others.
Touchstone has provided an array of thermomechanical testing for both metallic and non-metallic thermal protection systems.
