Flightglobal:European researchers developing a magnetic heat shield that could augment or replace the traditional ablative materials hope to make a test flight in the......Author: Rob CoppingerDate: 24 November 2009Read the full article
Author: Rob Coppinger
Date: 24 November 2009
Read the full article
"Nothing new under the sun".
I was working on a similar concept in the 1980s at Rockwell International Space Division and won an award for my design employing it but it never flew. The concept was patented by an American, but I expect that the 30 year time limit has now run out. The original experiments were done with a plasma arc at various research facilities and someone named "Novak" as I remember did a lot of experimental work on it.
Although interesting, I'm surprisd that anyone would run a full up test on such a system since a solid state heat shield is cheaper, probably lighter, less complex and is much less likely to screw up in action. I get the impression that the main reason stuff is done these days is that a national space department bureaucrat has sold it to some government functionary who gets campaign/kickback money from someone who happens to have a division which makes superconducting magnets.
Graft marches on.
The original experiments were done with a plasma arc at various research facilities and someone named "Novak" as I remember did a lot of experimental work on it.