The X-37 advanced technology demonstrator flaperon unit was one of the first ever thermal and mechanical qualification tests of a carbon-carbon control surface designed for space flight. The test also featured extensive use of high-temperature fiber optic strain sensors. Peak temperatures reached 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
NASA AFRCArmstrong Flight Research CenterEdwards Air Force BaseCaliforniaNASA s Hypersonic Technology projecthigh-temperature strain sensorsre-entry vehicleshypersonic transportsNASA Armstrong Flight Loads LaboratoryLOFTIDLow-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable DeceleratorSapphireNASPNational Aero Space PlaneX-37EFPIExtrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometersfemtosecond laserHIADHypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator