Strain compatible attachment for metallic thermal protection system for a space vehicle

An arrangement for a low density, high stiffness, integrated, metallic, outer aeroshell assembly for a space vehicle, comprising:

• an inner substructure of a space vehicle;
• an outer aeroshell formed of a plurality of abutting metallic thermal protection system panels, each panel having at least three corners, that is spaced from said inner substructure and which provides an outside mold line surface for a space vehicle, and
• a plurality of stand-off means secured to said inner substructure,
• each of said plurality of stand-off means comprising at least one stand-off leg member that is secured at a base end to said attachment means and releasably and lockingly secured at a spaced end to one corner of one panel to support each panel and attach it to the substructure,
• whereby thermal expansion differences and structural deflections between the space vehicle substructure and the outer aeroshell are accommodated during vehicle tanking, ascent and re-entry of the space vehicle.

A strain compatible attachment arrangement for securing a plurality of metallic thermal protection system panels to a space vehicle substructure, which arrangement comprises:

• a plurality of attachment means for attaching a plurality of said panels in a edge abutting relationship to a portion of a substructure of a space vehicle to provide a coterminous outer panel surface spaced from said substructure portion of the vehicle to support aerodynamic loading of said outer panel surface while isolating said outer panel surface from strains in said substructure and to isolate said vehicle substructure from direct thermal energy conductance through said outer panel surface of the space vehicle,
• wherein each panel is shaped to have at least three corners, each of said plurality of attachment means comprises at least one stand-off leg member that is secured at a first end to said attachment means and is releasably secured at a second end to one corner of one panel, and said plurality of attachment means are secured to the substructure of the space vehicle to space the outer panel surface from the space vehicle substructure to isolate said outer panel surface from thermal expansion differences with said space vehicle substructure during vehicle tanking and during ascent and re-entry flight maneuvers,
• wherein each stand-off leg member cooperates with a panel to provide securement of each such panel to each stand-off leg member from a position exterior to an outer surface of each such panel,
• wherein each stand-off leg member has a nutplate aperture formed through said second end of each stand-off leg member,
• wherein each stand-off leg member is provided at said second end with a nutplate means placed in registration with said nutplate aperture which cooperates with a bolt inserted from the exterior of a panel through the panel to secure a corner of said panel to said stand-off leg member, and
• wherein said nutplate means is secured to said second end of each stand-off leg member by a clip member.