Materials and processes for NASA'S shuttle program.

Advanced Materials & Processes,  January, 2003  by Ding, Jeff

Tags: C, fiber, NASA

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This article, the first in our series celebrating the Centennial of Flight, describes some of the Space Shuttle materials and fabrication processes. The Space Shuttle Orbiter must withstand extremes of heat and cold while also keeping weight and costs to a minimum. Toward this end, friction stir welding has been improved for fabrication of the external fuel tank.

High-temperature materials in the Space Shuttle Main Engines enable it to withstand the 3300[degrees]C (6000[degrees]F) operating temperatures. Fibrous ceramics on the outside of the Shuttle insulate astronauts from the ...

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