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Design and qualification of thermal protection system of KSLV-II
Jongmin Kim, Sangho Choi, Joon ho Lee and Honam ok
KSLV-II (Korea Space Launch Vehicle II) planned to launch in 2020 is composed of three stages. The base of the 1st stage faces high heat fluxes with the reverse flow of 2200 K exhaust plume gas from clustered four engines. The base TPS (Thermal Protection System) is attached on the base of the 1st stage to protect the structure of the LV (Launch Vehicle). A cork insulator is selected as the TPS material and its thickness is determined by a numerical analysis. The insulation performance of the base TPS is qualified by a heating test and the adhesion performance on LV’s body is verified by an environmental test. The research and development activities on the TPS in the space area are expected to be expanded because of planned heavy LVs.
Keywords: launch vehicle, thermal protection system, cork, ablation