National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA Facts
Orbiter Thermal Protection System
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High-Temperature Reusable Surface Insulation Low-Temperature Reusable Surface Insulation
(HRSI) tiles (LRSI) tiles
22-pound-per-cubic-foot = 525 9-pound-per-cubic-foot = 725
9-pound-per-cubic-foot = 20,000 12-pound-per-cubic-foot = 77**

Fibrous Refractory Composite Insulation (FRCI) tiles* Flexible Insulation Blankets (FIBs) = 2,300
12-pound-per-cubic-foot = 2,950
Felt Reusable Surface Insulation (FRSI) = 975***

* Not shown is Fibrous Refractoroy Composite Insulation (FRCI). The tiles are limited to isolated areas.

** There is a slight variation in the number of tiles per vehicle. Some orbiters also have no 12-pound-per-cubic-foot (LRSI) tiles.

***The FRSI sheets will vary slightly in number for each orbiter. An average of 1,860 square feet of FRSI sheets are used on an orbiter.

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 NASA: Explore. Discover. Understand.

FS-2004-09-014-KSC John F. Kennedy Space Center