Why the hull of the space shuttle Buran is covered with special ceramic tiles.

Heat-insulating tiles must protect the hull from heat when the ship enters the dense atmosphere. The reason for the heating is the friction of the surface of the ship against the air. The resulting plasma is capable of burning through structural elements.

Ceramic tiles were made from thin, hollow quartz fibers. It consisted of 90% air, which provided low thermal conductivity. The tile is designed to withstand temperatures up to 1250 ° C.

For protection, a composite material “Gravimol” was also used, designed for 1600 ° C.