Patent ID: 8752350

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a thermal protection element having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of sides, each of the plurality of sides having an outside, the thermal protection element comprising a ceramic substrate and a facesheet, the facesheet comprising a ceramic layer, the ceramic layer covering the upper surface, the lower surface, and the plurality of sides of the thermal protection element, a number of cavities in the ceramic substrate and a number of holes in the facesheet; a number of blind fasteners positioned such that a portion of the number of blind fasteners extends through the number of holes in the facesheet and into the number of cavities in the ceramic substrate; a number of first portions of a number of tabs, each of the number of first portions affixed to the outside of the plurality of sides by the number of blind fasteners secured to the ceramic layer, wherein each of the number of tabs have a second portion extending substantially perpendicularly away from the plurality of sides and substantially parallel to and at a distance above a structure; and a number of fastening elements each having a first end secured to the structure and a second end secured to the second portion and interposed between the structure and the second portion for the distance to create a space between the structure and the second portion; wherein the lower surface is secured to the structure by the number of tabs, the number of blind fasteners, and the number of fastening elements.