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this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2025
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@llamacoffee The obstacle: Engineering a reusable heat shield.
#SavedYouAClick
Thanks for pulling that detail out.
Seems the X37, Dream chaser, and Starship all use the ceramic tiles the Shuttle used.
https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2024/09/23/a-comprehensive-comparison-of-heat-shields-mercury-gemini-apollo-space-shuttle-orion-starliner-dragon-crew-dream-chaser-x-37-starship-and-international-spacecraft-from-china-russia-and-in/
That article has some alright high level descriptions, but it almost feels too high level to differentiate between any of them. I think it would at least benefit from some pictures. The Apollo vs Orion comparison definitely needs some more info given the Artemis 1 heat shield anomalies. Starship vs Shuttle attachment and patterning would be interesting to talk a bit about refurbishment.