In reply to Alex Longo.
Hi Alex, Yes – very difficult to test when every test takes 2 years and costs $4B.
Since NASA’s models of Avcoat did not predict the spallation, it’s hard to see how they can predict the effect of a change in reentry trajectory. They may come up with a theory of Avcoat spallation but it will be hard to validate their revised model.
A relatively cheap test would be to ask SpaceX to use a Falcon Heavy to send a Dragon capsule on a trajectory for a high speed reentry (like the original test of Orion done with a Delta IV Heavy) – so we can see how PICA-X stands up to lunar return conditions. Perhaps replace half the Dragon heatshield with Avcoat blocks to get a fair comparison.
From what little NASA and GAO have revealed, it looks like Orion’s Avcoat is unpredictable and likely unsafe.
Orion itself is very poor value – perhaps this is the time to shelve it and plan to send early Artemis crew up on Dragon (or Atlas V) to transfer to Starship with extra ECLSS capacity to cover LEO to lunar as well. But NASA will plough on with Orion & SLS because that is what Congress wants & funds.
from Comments for AmericaSpace https://ift.tt/jSztgCw
via World Space Info
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