CMC Control Surface Designs

As space exploration and hypersonic cruise technologies develop, the focus has shifted towards the development of lightweight, fully reusable and lower cost vehicles. The current state-of-the-art (SOA) is taking an incremental improvement step over the Space Shuttle TPS approach. All-ceramic matrix composite (CMC) body flaps developed for the X-38 vehicle were shown to offer considerable mass savings as well as increased durability and impact resistance. The next step in advancing the state of the art is to increase the confidence in the design and manufacturing quality of a full CMC control surface for hypersonic vehicles. Within this effort, Materials Research & Design (MR&D) is proposing a trade study which will investigate various control surface manufacturing and material options for the ruddervator design of X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. For the proposed Phase I program, MR&D has chosen an integrally fabricated all-CMC control surface, a mechanically fastened-individually fabricated fully-CMC control surface, and a CMC sandwich structure control surface to be the three candidate design structures in a trade study. Potential material candidates include, but may not be limited to, CVI C/SiC, C-C with 1-2 SiC cycles for oxidation protection, S200 Nicalon/SiNC from ATK COIC, and SiC/SiC.

The technology proposed in the Phase I program will also be of direct interest to the Department of Defense (DOD) to support the development of hypersonic missiles, and maneuvering reentry bodies. The results are also expected to be of direct interest to programs including the USAF Common Aero Vehicle, and the DARPA Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle.

The technology developed here will directly support the design of existing and future NASA space exploration vehicles. The next step in the development of fully-CMC control surfaces for hypersonic vehicles is to develop technology that will increase the reliability of reusable launch vehicles with the ultimate goal of offering comparable safety and reliability as commercial aircraft.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.