One Step Closer to Reusable Rockets

FortKnox writes: "One of the larger hurdles that reusable rockets have seen is the destruction the heat causes when in use. Scientists have developed a new thermal plating that hopes to eliminate that problem. The plating is called 'Adaptable, Robust, Metallic, Operable, Reusable TPS', or ARMOR for short. With talk of returning to the moon or landing on Mars, reusable rockets would give NASA a little breath of relief in the funding department..."

Comments

Commercial availability?

[Winged Cat]

Great. So, when is anyone not affiliated with NASA - and who is actually working on ways to drive down launch costs, not just throwing lots of money at the problem without much results - going to be able to get their hands on it?

Never, you say? It's too expensive/complicated/restricted-for-national-secu rity
to let us ordinary folks get our hands on it? Why, in the IT industry I come from, son, we have a word for that: "vaporware".

Armor?

[LastToKnow]

How about Metallic, Interesting, Thermal Harm Resistant Intermediate Layer