Protective blankets comprise a flexible blanket body and a voltage supply. The flexible blanket body comprises a plurality of sheets of material operatively coupled together to define the flexible blanket body. The plurality of sheets comprises one or more sheets composed at least in part of a carbon nanotube material and at least one sheet composed of a different material. The voltage supply is electrically coupled at least to a first sheet of the one or more sheets composed at least in part of the carbon nanotube material, such that the first sheet defines a resistive heater.

A device for protecting a body from damage The protective device comprises an outer protective cover, the outer protective cover comprising a thermal energy conduction element for transferring thermal energy through at least part of the outer protective cover and an inner assembly located adjacent the outer protective cover, the inner assembly comprising a thermal energy transfer device adapted to transfer thermal energy to and/or from the thermal energy conduction element. The thermal conduction element comprises a graphite-like or pyrolytic graphite-like material and the thermal energy transfer device comprises a thermal energy transfer fluid.

A heat rejection system that employs temperature sensitive shape memory materials to control the heat rejection capacity of a vehicle to maintain a safe vehicle temperature. The technology provides for a wide range of heat rejection rates by actuation of the orientation or position of a heat rejection panel which impacts effective properties of the heat rejection system in response to temperature. When employed as a radiator for crewed spacecraft thermal control this permits the use of higher freezing point, non-toxic thermal working fluids in single-loop thermal control systems for crewed vehicles in space and other extraterrestrial environments.

A heat rejection system that employs temperature sensitive shape memory materials to control the heat rejection capacity of a vehicle to maintain a safe vehicle temperature. The technology provides for a wide range of heat rejection rates by actuation of the orientation or position of a heat rejection panel which impacts effective properties of the heat rejection system in response to temperature. When employed as a radiator for crewed spacecraft thermal control this permits the use of higher freezing point, non-toxic thermal working fluids in single-loop thermal control systems for crewed vehicles in space and other extraterrestrial environments.

A heat transfer control structure includes: an outer shell having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer shell being heated by airflow along the outer surface; an inner shell disposed opposed to the inner surface of the outer shell, the inner shell being configured to accommodate a payload therein; and a plate coupled to the inner shell such that the plate is opposed to the inner shell across a gap. The outer shell is coupled to the plate.

A heat transfer control structure includes: an outer shell having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer shell being heated by airflow along the outer surface; an inner shell disposed opposed to the inner surface of the outer shell, the inner shell being configured to accommodate a payload therein; and a plate coupled to the inner shell such that the plate is opposed to the inner shell across a gap. The outer shell is coupled to the plate.

A flexible insulation material may be configured to substantially reduce the amount of radiation transmitted therethrough by incorporating a reflective mat of high temperature fibers that withstand temperatures of at least 500° C. The flexible insulation may be stored and used over temperatures ranging from −270° C. to 5000° C. The mat may have optical properties to produce a transmittance of no more than 5% over a range of temperature from 500° C. to 5000 vC. The mat may include high temperature fibers such as carbon and/or silicon carbide and these fibers may be coupled by a binder in a non-woven fabric. The flexible insulation material may be configured in the Flexible Thermal Protection System of a deployable aerodynamic decelerator or a Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator and may be durably flexible.

Aspects relate to building Z-graded radiation shielding and covers. In one aspect, the method includes: providing a substrate surface having about medium Z-grade; plasma spraying a first metal having higher Z-grade than the substrate surface; and infusing a polymer layer to form a laminate. In another aspect, the method includes electro/electroless plating a first metal having higher Z-grade than the substrate surface. In other aspects, the invention provides methods of improving an existing electronics enclosure to build a Z-graded radiation shield by applying a temperature controller to at least part of the enclosure and affixing at least one layer of a first metal having higher Z-grade than the enclosure.

A lightweight ablator formulation has been developed which offers superior thermal performance compared to current state of the art ablator formulations. The lightweight ablator formulations described herein typically include at least one endothermically decomposing (energy absorbing) material with a fluxing agent resulting in significantly reduced backface temperature response and a more stable surface. According to one implementation the ablator composition comprises about 30 to about 70 percent by weight of a base silicone resin, about 25 to about 67 percent by weight of a low-density filler, about 3 to about 7 percent by weight of a curing agent and greater than 0 and up to about 10 percent by weight of a boron-containing compound.

A lightweight ablator formulation has been developed which offers superior thermal performance compared to current state of the art ablator formulations. The lightweight ablator formulations described herein typically include at least one endothermically decomposing (energy absorbing) material with a fluxing agent resulting in significantly reduced backface temperature response and a more stable surface. According to one implementation the ablator composition comprises about 30 to about 70 percent by weight of a base silicone resin, about 25 to about 67 percent by weight of a low-density filler, about 3 to about 7 percent by weight of a curing agent and greater than 0 and up to about 10 percent by weight of a boron-containing compound.