Thermal Characterization of TPS Tiles

The Thermal Protection System (TPS) used on space shuttles protects the metallic structure from the large amounts of heat created during travel through the atmosphere, both on takeoff and reentry. The shuttle experiences high thermo‐acoustic loading and impact damage from micro‐meteorites, which can cause disbonds, delaminations, chips, cracks, and other defects to the TPS system. To enhance durability and damage tolerance, new TPS tiles with an added protective ceramic‐matrix‐composite layer are being developed. This paper explores the use of pulsed thermography as a quick, diverse, non‐destructive technique, to characterize the TPS system. The pulsed thermography images obtained are presented and analyzed.