According to the article they are made of ceramic-coated fabric and serve as buffers so the tiles do not rattle together and get damaged. I would imagine that during liftoff the ride is a little bumpy.
The article also says that the only reason they are doing this is they think that they may cause added heat due to friction during re-entry.
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Can he find a formula for the number of /. articles posted vs. the actual unique articles?
According to the article they are made of ceramic-coated fabric and serve as buffers so the tiles do not rattle together and get damaged. I would imagine that during liftoff the ride is a little bumpy. The article also says that the only reason they are doing this is they think that they may cause added heat due to friction during re-entry.