Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!nosc!crash!pro-canaveral.cts.com!gandalf
From: gandalf@pro-canaveral.cts.com (Ken Hollis)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re : Tiles
Message-ID: <5818@crash.cts.com>
Date: 22 Nov 90 22:56:08 GMT
Sender: root@crash.cts.com
Lines: 60

Greetings and Salutations:

>From: LABRIE@gecrdvm1.crd.ge.com
>Subject: Tiles
>Columbia or Enterprise gliding in with about a third of its tiles missing

If you are referring to the time that Columbia was ferried from Palmdale back
to KSC aboard the SCA (Shuttle Carrier Aircraft), The missing "Tiles" you saw
was the initial removal of the dice tiles to later be replaced by AFRSI
(Advanced Felt Reusable Surface Insulation).  There has never been a massive
loss of tiles From Re-entry.


>of the shuttle.  You can expect about 500 to 1000 of these tiles to be
damaged
>per flight.  Most can be repaired in place by drilling out the pits or holes,
>filling with paste, and sanding smooth.  But about 100 to 150 of these will
>be beyond repair and need to be replaced.  Technicians have to carefully

About a dozen or so are so damaged that they have to be replaced, with a total
of maybe 100 tiles hit plus or minus 25.


>of the blankets.  An easy way to tell most of the tiles from the blanket
>squares is, the tiles are usually black or grey and the blankets are white.

The grey parts are reinforced carbon-carbon for high temperature areas.

>John E. Labrie
>GE Corporate Research and Development
>Schenectady, New York             USA


>From: dil@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Perry G Ramsey)
>Subject: Re: Tiles

>Discovery and Atlantis have a lot of white tiles.  Challenger and Columbia
>had/have a lot more.
>Perry G. Ramsey           Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Columbia used to have the 1" dice tiles all over the vehicle, but they also
have been replaced with the AFRSI (essentially quartz blankets impregnated
with ceramics).  Columbia still has large white tiles on the crew module.  The
other vehicles are basically all AFRSI except on small areas on the OMS pods
on the front near where the black tile is, and on the side where the black
tile is (the black tile was installed after high heating areas were noticed &
there was a burn-through on the side of the OMS pod).  There is also some
white tile on the nose around the windows.

By the way, the black "Glove" area on Columbia (The front part of the upper
wing that is black, unlike the other two orbiters) is FRSI painted black, and
is not tile.  At one time there was a thought that this part of the wing would
have to be warmed up more during the barbecue rolls for reentry.  It was found
out that is is not required.

Ken Hollis

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