AVCOAT

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Apollo and Orion Avcoat

AVCOAT 5026-39 is a NASA code for a specific ablative heat shield material created

by Avco[1][2] (acquired by Textron in 1984).[3] It is an epoxy novolac resin with special
additives in a fiberglass honeycomb matrix. In fabrication, the empty honeycomb is
bonded to the primary structure and the resin is gunned into each cell individually. [4]

Contents

 1History
 2Specifications
 3Notable AVCOAT Installations
o 3.1AVCOAT for Orion Crew Module
o 3.2AVCOAT for Apollo Missions
 4AVCOAT Heat Shield Research and Installation for Orion Crew Module
 5Flight use
o 5.1Uncrewed
o 5.2Crewed
 6References
 7External links

History[edit]
AVCOAT was used for the heat shield on NASA's Apollo command module.[5] In its final
form, this material was called AVCOAT 5026-39.
Although AVCOAT was not used for the Space Shuttle orbiters, NASA is using the
material for its next generation Orion spacecraft.[6] The Avcoat to be used on Orion is
reformulated to meet environmental legislation that has been passed since the end of
Apollo.[7][8]
Specifications[edit]
 Material: epoxy phenol formaldehyde resin with special
additives in a fiberglass honeycomb matrix.[4]
 Density: 32 pounds per cubic foot (0.51 g/cm3)[4]
 Post-ablation char-layer composition: 6.7 pounds per cubic
foot (0.107 g/cm3) of carbon and 8 pounds per cubic foot
(0.13 g/cm3) of silica.[4]

Notable AVCOAT Installations[edit]

AVCOAT for Orion Crew Module[edit]
The Orion Crew Module was first designed for the NASA's Constellation program, but
later adapted the Space Launch System to replace the Space Shuttle program. This
spacecraft was planned to take astronauts to the International Space Station in 2015
and to the moon in 2024.

ASRC Federal technicians inspect AVCOAT block bonding on the Artemis II heat shield on at Kennedy Space
Center on July 2, 2020.

In the past, the honeycomb paste-like fiberglass material is gunned into each cells
individually. On the other hand, the Orion heat shield is bonded onto the base of the
heat shield.
To protect the Crew Module during Earth re-entry, the dish shaped AVCOAT heat
shield ablator system was selected. NASA announced that this module will encounter
temperature as high as 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. [9] Licensed by Textron,[10] AVCOAT
material is produced at New Orleans's Michoud Assembly Facility by Lockheed Martin.
This heat shield will be installed at the base of the crew module to provide a controlled
erosion moving heat away from the crew module into the atmosphere. This process of
erosion is called “ablation” - where materials are removed by vaporization or erosion by
continuous contact with the supersonic velocity of gas flow and high temperature; thus
the construction of honeycomb structure was made.
Testing an AVCOAT specimen in an environmental chamber at NASA Langley

John Kowal, Orion's thermal protections systems manager at Johnson Space Center,
discussed the biggest challenge with AVCOAT has been reviving the technology for
manufacturing with similar performance as demonstrated in the Apollo Missions. [11]
The EFT-1 mission performed two orbits of Earth providing the opportunity for Orion's
systems to be tested. It took about four hours with the splash down in the ocean. [12]
AVCOAT for Apollo Missions[edit]
AVCOAT was first used on the parts of the Apollo spacecraft orbiter and as a unit
attached to the crew module in the past. It is a honeycomb structure. NASA confirmed
that this is made of silica fibers with an epoxy novolac resin filled in a fiberglass-
phenolic manufactured directly onto the heat shield. [13][14]
NASA's Apollo Flight Test Analysis, AVCOAT 5026-39/HC-G material was tested on the
nose cap of a peacemaker vehicle.[15] The temperature and ablation measurements were
made at four locations on the nose cap. The report noted that the wear of the shield is
due to the aerodynamic shear and heating rate. The report also noted that scientists
believed that the ablation was done in a controlled manner.
After the Apollo missions, the production was then put in place for the purpose of
studying. Orion Chief Engineer requested the heat shield to be redesigned, [16] however
the final design was not selected.

AVCOAT Heat Shield Research and Installation for Orion

Crew Module[edit]
The AVCOAT material heat shield went through several rounds of testing before being
chosen for the installation. The Investigating the Thermochemical Response of Avcoat
TPS from First Principles for Comparison with EFT-1 Data, things being tested on the
heat-shield include: model gas transport, heat transfer, and TPS material regression. [17]
Orion's 16.5 feet AVCOAT heat shield was secured onto the Orion Crew Module using
68 bolts by Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. This heat
shield is covered in titanium truss and a composite substitute with an addition skin made
of carbon fiber layers. Orion's heat-shield was designed and manufactured by Lockheed
Martin. The heat shield is like pieces of a honeycomb puzzle that all must fit together
perfectly and the bolt fittings must be lined up.[10]
After the heat-shield's installation, access to components of the crew module became
difficult or no longer accessible.

Flight use[edit]
Uncrewed[edit]
 Several subscale test flights[4][5]
 AS-201[5]
 AS-202[5]
 Apollo 4[5]
 Apollo 6[5]
 EFT-1
Crewed[edit]
 Apollo 7, Apollo 8, Apollo 9, Apollo 10
 Apollo 11, Apollo 12, Apollo 13, Apollo 14
 Apollo 15, Apollo 16, Apollo 17
 Skylab 2, Skylab 3, Skylab 4
 Apollo–Soyuz Test Project

References[edit]
1. ^ Wilson, Jim.  "NASA - NASA's Exploration Systems Architecture Study
-- Final Report". www.nasa.gov.
2. ^ "Fire-Resistant Reinforcement Makes Steel Structures Sturdier".
January 12, 2007. Archived from  the original on 2007-01-12.
3. ^ Textron Systems History Archived November 30, 2010, at the Wayback
Machine, 1984 History, "Textron acquires Avco, including Lycoming, to
become Avco Systems Textron", 2010, accessed 2010-11-27.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Flight-Test Analysis Of Apollo Heat-Shield Material
Using The Pacemaker Vehicle System NASA Technical Note D-4713, pp.
8, 1968-08, accessed 2010-12-26. "Avcoat 5026-39/HC-G is an epoxy
novolac resin with special additives in a fiberglass honeycomb matrix. In
fabrication, the empty honeycomb is bonded to the primary structure and
the resin is gunned into each cell individually. ... The overall density of
the material is 32 lb/ft3  (512 kg/m3). The char of the material is composed
mainly of silica and carbon. It is necessary to know the amounts of each
in the char because in the ablation analysis the silica is considered to be
inert, but the carbon is considered to enter into exothermic reactions with
oxygen. ... At 2160° R (1200° K), 54 percent by weight of the virgin
material has volatilized and 46 percent has remained as char. ... In the
virgin material, 25 percent by weight is silica, and since the silica is
considered to be inert the char-layer composition becomes 6.7
lb/ft3  (107.4 kg/m3) of carbon and 8 lb/ft3 (128.1 kg/m3) of silica."
5. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Apollo Experience Report - Thermal Protection
Subsystem (Jan. 1974)
6. ^ "NASA - NASA Selects Material for Orion Spacecraft Heat
Shield". www.nasa.gov.
 7. ^ "Flightglobal.com - NASA's Orion heat shield decision expected this
month (Oct 3, 2009)".
8. ^ "Company Watch - NASA. - Free Online
Library". www.thefreelibrary.com.
9. ^ Clem, Kylie; Clem, Rachel (April 7, 2009).  "NASA Selects Material for
Orion Spacecraft Heat Shield". NASA News Release. NASA. Retrieved  2
April  2019.
10. ^ Jump up to:a b Herridge, Linda.  "Heat shield install brings Orion
spacecraft closer to space". SpaceDaily. KSC News. Retrieved  2
April  2019.
11. ^ Prucey, Rachel; Clem, Kylie.  "NASA Selects Material for Orion
Spacecraft Heat Shield". NASA News Releases. NASA. Retrieved  3
April  2019.
12. ^ Kramer, Miriam.  "NASA's 1st Orion Spaceship Gets World's Largest
Heat Shield (Photos)". Space.com. Retrieved  3 April  2019.
13. ^ Prucey, Rachel; Clem, Kylie.  "NASA Selects Material for Orion
Spacecraft Heat Shield". NASA News. NASA. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
14. ^ "Aerothermodynamics HEOMD Projects". Nasa.gov. Retrieved  20
August  2020.
15. ^ Graves, Randolph A.; Witte, William G. (August 1968). "Flight-Test
Analysis of Apollo Heat-shield Material Using the Peacemaker Vehicle
System"  (PDF). NASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI)
Program.  D  (4137): 11–12. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
16. ^ Hoffpauir, Daniel.  "An Alternate Orion Heat Shield Carrier Structural
Design". NASA News. NASA. Retrieved 29 April  2019.
17. ^ Levin, Deborah.  "Investigating the Thermochemical Response of
Avcoat TPS from First Principles for Comparison with EFT-1 Data".
NASA News. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Retrieved 3
April  2019.

External links[edit]
 Apollo Experience Report - Thermal Protection Subsystem
(Jan. 1974)
 Apollo Seals: A Basis for the Crew Exploration Vehicle Seals
(Nov. 2006)
 Notes on Earth Atmospheric Entry for Mars Sample Return
Missions (Sept. 2006)
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