This thread on space debris made me remember something I swore I read about when I was studying materials science issues in Grad School.
I read once that a substance had been developed that was like a quick-set high-temperature ceramic epoxy, that could be used to seal holes in the Space Shuttle, even holes through the ceramic heat shield. It was contained in a dual-tube setup like standard epoxies, cured in 24 hours in a space environment with a special light that was shined on it (a hand-held light carried by the astronauts) and could withstand re-entry temperatures and make return possible, even with a hole up to an inch or so.
Did I just make this up, or does/did such a thing exist? Search engines are not coming up with an answer.
I thought I would point out that despite the title of ceramic tiles the heat shields are in fact made of slightly more complicated (that is definition wise
) materials. The original shield appears to have been a 'foam glass using a ceramic binding.
While the latest information I can find (circa 1994) is that a new ‘functional gradient material’ was being investigated.
Unfortunately I can find no references to either in-space or ground based repair of these tiles but the implied indications are that the tiles are repaired/replaced on the ground. Also I believe that without a ‘deep’ penetration, the astronauts would probably not be aware of the hole until a visual inspection was done on the ground.
I am dyslexic. I thought the title was “Leaking Seals on the Space Shuttle” and I got a mental image of aquatic mammals with bladder problems, in space.
Well here is a link to some more up to-date information on the heating and protection systems on the shuttle. Still no luck on the repair side. Although more implied evidence of punctures occurring (at least in the past) and being repaired on the ground.
Well, thank you guys for reading and your responses. Perhaps I can find some more info by further web searches. It makes me think though if NASA does have anything for emergency repairs in space…
You might try searching russian space program sites. I recall hearing about some sort of epoxy patching material they used on MIR. Of course I don’t have the reference.
When I your your OP, I was reminded of that horrible “Mission to Mars” movie. However, you’re probably thinking of the epoxy repair kit that has been developed for the International Space Station. Here’s an article from spaceflightnow.com (23 Mar 2000) about the repair process: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/0003/23issrepairkit/
By the way, the tiles are not critical to the Space Shuttle’s structural integrity and do not need to be patched if slightly damaged in flight. In fact, after each successful touchdown, an assessment is performed on the 30,000+ tiles - a tedious and time consuming process. A couple of years ago at about the same time new materials were developed for the TPS, this inspection process was to be performed by a robot called the Tessallator (I don’t know if it is in use at this time). Tiles are often dented, cracked, or missing - less so today than during the first few early flights. It’s only a problem if large patches of contiguous material are damaged in flight.