Patent ID: 8864073
Filing Date: 2014-10-21
Classification: B64C,B64G

Abstract:
1. A thermal protection system for a vehicle having a substructure, comprising: a substantially rigid aeroshell configured to be fastened to the substructure; a relatively low density substantially rigid insulation layer disposed against the aeroshell; a resiliently compressible conformal layer disposable against the insulation layer and being compressively preloaded against the substructure when the aeroshell is fastened to the substructure; the thermal protection system extending around a circumference of the substructure and extending from a forward end to an aft end of the substructure; and the aeroshell being mechanically fastened to the substructure at one location along the substructure and enveloping and being non-fastened along a remainder of the substructure in such a manner causing the conformal layer to be compressively preloaded and maintaining the aeroshell in circumferential tension due to the compressive preloading of the conformal layer.