Strategic Objectives
• Master the chemical mechanics of pyrolysis and mass loss.
• Understand the engineering behind one-time-use thermal protection.
• Explore the evolution of heat shield materials from Apollo to Starship.
• Learn to calculate heat flux and thermal load for orbital reentry.
The Core Challenge
Traditional materials melt or fail under the extreme heat flux of hypersonic travel, requiring a radical approach to thermal management.
01
The Physics of Reentry
02
Defining Ablation
03
Aerothermodynamic Loading
04
The Chemistry of Pyrolysis
05
Phenolic Resins
06
Carbon-Carbon Composites
07
Stagnation Point Mechanics
08
Charring Ablators
09
PICA Technology
10
Sublimation Cooling
11
Boundary Layer Interaction
12
Arc Jet Testing
13
Thermal Conductivity in Porous Media
14
Avcoat and the Apollo Legacy
15
Mechanical Erosion
16
Hypersonic Flow Fields
17
Manufacturing the Shield
18
Thermal Stress and Strain
19
Non-Destructive Evaluation
20
Future Ablatives
21