El Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) de EUA, ha adjudicado a la empresa SpaceX, un importante contrato para la investigaci\u00f3n avanzada de materiales espec\u00edficos, as\u00ed como nuevas tecnolog\u00edas de fabricaci\u00f3n, para el desarrollo de Protecciones T\u00e9rmicas destinadas a las estructuras y componentes de los sofisticados Misiles Hipers\u00f3nicos. Una de las principales barreras tecnol\u00f3gicas a superar, por los desarrolladores de estos vectores que se desplazan a velocidades hipers\u00f3nicas, son las temperaturas extremas que deben soportar durante las diferentes etapas de su vuelo.<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON \u2014 The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded SpaceX an $8.5 million contract to investigate advanced materials and manufacturing techniques for heat shields that protect hypersonic vehicles in flight.<\/p>\n
Heat protection is a critical technology to shield hypersonic vehicles from the intense heat experienced when flying at more than five times the speed of sound.<\/p>\n
The contract was from the AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate for a project called \u201cmultipurpose thermal protection systems for hypersonics.\u201d<\/p>\n
An AFRL spokesman said this was a competitive program with multiple bidders. The contract was awarded in December but was made public Feb. 26. News of the award was first reported by @AviationWeek<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe objective is to refine thermal protection system manufacturing technologies to enable low-cost, high volume production of next generation thermal protection systems,\u201d said the notice of the award.<\/p>\n AFRL for years has been developing technologies<\/a> in support of Defense Department, Air Force and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency hypersonic vehicle programs.<\/p>\n AFRL is researching advanced manufacturing technologies such as additive manufacturing for hypersonic air and space vehicles. The lab will test these techniques for the production of heat protection materials that hypersonic vehicles need to fly in extreme environments like ballistic reentry.<\/p>\n SpaceX has developed advanced heat shielding systems to protect the Dragon human spaceflight<\/a> capsule and its next-generation Starship space exploration vehicle<\/a> as they reenter the Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n