Falcon Program
November 5, 2008 by Scott Ellis
The Falcon program objectives are to develop and demonstrate hypersonic technologies that will enable prompt global reach missions. This capability is envisioned to entail a reusable Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle (HCV) capable of delivering 12,000 pounds of payload at a distance of 9,000 nautical miles from CONUS in less than two hours. The technologies required by a HCV include high lift-to-drag technologies, high temperature materials, thermal protection systems, and guidance, navigation, and control… More On DARPA.mil
C-CAT is developing the necessary high-temprature carbon-carbon materials that make programs like the Falcon posbbile.
Carbon Carbon
November 5, 2008 by Scott Ellis
C-CAT has advanced high temperature material systems and technologies through advanced research and development, high temperature testing, and first article trial qualifications.
This includes the development and process hardening of Advanced Carbon-Carbon – 6 (ACC-6) for various critical aerospace applications applications including:
- load bearing flight structures for space vehicle’s
- thermal protection requirements for space probes and other mission based hardware
- oxidation protection requirements for re-use of materials
- re-entry vehicle design construction
- heat shield applications
Carbon-carbon provides a variety of options for thermal protection. Applications vary widely from single use ablative heat shields to multiple use SiC conversion coated flight controls. C-CAT has the personnel and equipment to successfully manufacture complex high temperature components with the highest quality. C-CAT’s unique processing provides consistent thermal and structural results. Along with its development of processing techniques, C-CAT has also developed the inspection capabilities that are required to support these complex structures. C-CAT ACC-6 material and its derivatives have a high TRL, extensive flight history and qualification testing.
Recent fabrication history for ACC-6 and its derivatives:
- Mars Global Surveyor – Heat shield protecting scientific equipment from the heat generated from the propulsion system
- Genesis – Heat shield for re-entry in earth atmosphere after collecting scientific data while in orbit between the earth and the sun.
- HyFly – Ram/Scram engine fabricated from carbon-carbon to withstand temperatures in excess of 4000° F in order to achieve mach 7.
- X-37 Flight Controls – Carbon-carbon flight controls designed and fabricated to withstand a Space Shuttle Type re-entry environment
- 2m Heat Shield – 77” Process demonstrator for NASA AAT Aerocapture program
- Falcon HTV-2 – Carbon-carbon ablative aeroshell
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