Material properties and behavior during simulated atmospheric reentry

Specific test facilities were developed to characterize and validate the performance of thermal protection materials in this particular environment. Two classes of facilities are used: test facilities to determine surface properties which have a direct influence of the temperature of the parts (emissivity, catalycity), and test facilities for simulation of the atmospheric reentry, to study the evolution of materials during this flight phase (plasma torch, radiant facilities). The space plane induced environment is recalled and the operational and under development test facilities are described. Comparative results obtained on reference materials which were tested in those test facilities are presented. The comparative analysis shows a significant difference in behavior, especially in plasma arc jets. Ongoing activities which will be used to identify the most representative facilities are presented.