Elon Musk is determined to get to Mars and return home, but in order for a spacecraft to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, it needs to be able to withstand the heat. Yesterday, SpaceX tested the heat shield tiles that allow the company’s Starship interplanetary spacecraft to do just that.
As Engadget reports, Musk explains in the Twitter thread that the temperatures endured by the heat shield tiles reached 1,650 degrees Kelvin (2,500 degrees Fahrenheit). The hexagonal shape also helps keep the heat from causing any damage, with Musk stating there’s “no straight path for hot gas to accelerate through the gaps.” Read more…
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