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.

• 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