Silicone impregnated refractory ceramic ablator

Silicone Impregnated Refractory Ceramic Ablator, or SIRCA, is a lightweight ceramic ablative material, often used in thermal protection systems to protect parts of launch vehicles and spacecraft from very high temperature heat sources.^[1]

SIRCA was used for ceramic substrates on both the Viking spacecraft and the Space Shuttle,^[2] and was also used on the aeroshells for Mars Pathfinder and the Mars Exploration Rovers.^[1] It was developed at NASA Ames Research Center in the 1980s and 1990s.^[2]

According to NASA's TPSX database, there are three types of SIRCA in use: SIRCA-25L,^[3] SIRCA-15F^[4] and SIRCA-14A,^[5] each based on a different ceramic insulation substrate. Each type of SIRCA has a different acceptable heating rate, maximum heating load and mechanical strength.

SIRCA typically has a density between 0.20–0.40 grams per cubic centimetre (12–25 lb/cu ft) and can handle a heat flux of up to 300 watts per square centimetre (2.6 hp/sq in)^[2] and is easily machined to custom shapes.^[1]

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