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1. What are the top 10 most-used acronyms in the Thermal Protection Materials and Systems Branch?
   
2. Why do spacecraft have thermal protection?
   
3. Why are some parts of the Space Shuttle white but others are black?
   
4. Who helps monitor the health of Earth's thermal protection system? What is their contribution and how is it done?
   
5. What special roles does ozone play as the Earth's TPS and why is it important?
   
6. What does a shuttle tile look like up close?
   
7. What do spacecraft and shooting stars have in common?
   
8. Which space vehicle needs more thermal protection: the one that lands on Mars, or on Jupiter?
   
9. Name a few "thermal protection" clothes that people wear when it's too cold or too hot outside.
   
10. What is the simplest way I could get to fly into space?
    

1. What are the top 10 most-used acronyms in the Thermal Protection Materials and Systems Branch?
   10. TRL Technical Readiness Level: Used to define the level of development of a material/system. 1-9 TRL level is where it is a concept and 9 is flight-proven
   9. UHTC Ultra High Temperature Ceramic: A class of materials being evaluated for sharp vehicles with high heating
   8. PICA Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator: An ablator developed at NASA Ames Research Center
   7. SIRCA Silicone Impregnated Refractory Ceramic Ablator: An ablator developed at NASA Ames Research Center
   6. SIP Strain Isolation Pad: A felt-like material used between the Space Shuttle Orbiter tile and the Aluminum structure.
   5. RCG Reaction-Cured Glass: The original black coating used on the Space Shuttle Orbiter tile.
   4. AETB Alumina-Enhanced Thermal Barrier: A Shuttle Orbiter tile that has a higher-temperature capability than the Original tile, LI-900
   3. TUFI Toughened Unipiece Fibrous Insulation: An advanced black surface treatment that replaces RCG on easily damaged areas on the Orbiter.
   2. RTV Room Temperature Vulcanizing: A class of silicone adhesives used at high temperature. RTV560 is used to bond Shuttle tile to the SIP and SIP to the aluminum structure and is rated for Temperatures from approximately 40 to 500 degrees F.
   1. TPS Thermal Protection System: A material system used to protect the structure of a spaceship during entry into an atmosphere.
   
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2. Why do spacecraft have thermal protection?
   Because friction between a fast-moving spacecraft and the atmosphere generates enough heat to melt metal. That is why shooting stars glow: they are burning up from the heat.
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3. Why are some parts of the Space Shuttle white but others are black?
   There are two reasons. First, white materials reflect a good percentage of incident solar/radiative heating. However, the equilibrium temperature increases with level of incident radiation. Eventually the reuse temperature of practical materials is exceeded. At some point it is more effective to switch to black material because it radiates heat back into space in proportion to T to 4th power. Second, convective heating from hot gas flow is concentrated on leading edges and windward (belly) locations. This type of heating is not effectively mitigated by white color, so in these locations it is better to use black materials.
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4. Who helps monitor the health of Earth's thermal protection system? What is their contribution and how is it done?
   NASA satellites Nimbus-7, Meteor-3, and Earth probe. Learn more at NASA's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer website.
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5. What special roles does ozone play as the Earth's TPS and why is it important?
   It absorbs UV radiation. Exposure to too much UV radiation can damage DNA and cause problems such as cataracts and skin cancer. Read more at Beyond Discovery.org
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6. What does a shuttle tile look like up close?
   The original shuttle tile is made of silica fibers. They are very small (greater than ten times smaller than a human hair in diameter) and are very loosely packed. The majority of the volume is actually void space.
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7. What do spacecraft and shooting stars have in common?
   They both heat up because of friction with the atmosphere. The shooting star melts, vaporizes and glows from the heat, while the spacecraft is insulated by its thermal protection system, which enables it to survive.
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8. Which space vehicle needs more thermal protection: the one that lands on Mars, or on Jupiter?
   The larger the planet, the more severe the heating, and therefore the need for thermal protection, so therefore Jupiter would need more thermal protection.
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9. Name a few "thermal protection" clothes that people wear when it's too cold or too hot outside.
   A warm, thick coat for cold weather, to keep the body heat from escaping, and a white t-shirt and a cap for sunny weather to reflect the sun's radiation, and therefore reduce heat.
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10. What is the simplest way I could get to fly into space?
    Be a healthy billionaire!
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