BFS - how bad can it be? (and still get to Mars with little delay)

[Robotbeat]

I think it's pretty reasonable for a TPS heatshield like PICA-X to be able to tolerate two reentries without refurb in between.

But I agree that rapid reuse of a PICA-X based heatshield is definitely not a given.

If it were me, I'd shoot for something like the x-33 heatshield, although with even higher temperature alloys.

It could be the LEO flights will be able to use a more reusable heatshield than the Mars flights.

[ChrisWilson68]

I think it's pretty reasonable for a TPS heatshield like PICA-X to be able to tolerate two reentries without refurb in between.

But I agree that rapid reuse of a PICA-X based heatshield is definitely not a given.

If it were me, I'd shoot for something like the x-33 heatshield, although with even higher temperature alloys.

It could be the LEO flights will be able to use a more reusable heatshield than the Mars flights.

I've always wondered why the X-33 heat shield material was passed over by SpaceX for Dragon, NASA/LM for Orion, and Boeing for Starliner.  Back in 1999, NASA had declared it ready for flight.

[speedevil]

I think it's pretty reasonable for a TPS heatshield like PICA-X to be able to tolerate two reentries without refurb in between.

But I agree that rapid reuse of a PICA-X based heatshield is definitely not a given.

If it were me, I'd shoot for something like the x-33 heatshield, although with even higher temperature alloys.

It could be the LEO flights will be able to use a more reusable heatshield than the Mars flights.

Mars entry at moderate trip times (4 months+) is comparable to entry from LEO. (7.8km/s, comparable accelerations through hypersonic)
It is only with considerably shorter trips that it starts to get more energetic than that.