Seminars

After the successful manned missions to the Moon and many probe entries into the atmosphere of outer planets, the next challenges of aerospace science include bringing back samples to Earth by means of robotic missions, as well as continuing the manned exploration program to send human beings to Mars and bring them safely home. Inaccurate prediction of the heat load on the surface of a spacecraft may be fatal for the crew or the success of robotic missions. This research focuses on the needs of the space agencies, to help rocket scientists with the design of the heat shield used to protect payload and astronauts. We investigate the coupling between the radiation, ablation, and transition phenomena that can lead to severe errors in the heat load prediction. A close collaboration with the aerospace industry aims at developing a methodology for the characterization of a new generation of low-density carbon-resin composite materials that will enable tomorrow’s space journeys.