Transpirationally cooled heat ablation system

Claim 1

A TRANSPIRATIONALLY COOLED, HEAT INSULATING AND ABLATIVE SYSTEM FOR A REENTRY SPACECRAFT COMPRISING: A BULK HEAD ADAPTED TO BE SECURED AT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE SPACECRAFT AND HAVING OPENINGS THERETHROUGH ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A COOLING FLUID SUPPLY SOURCE; A SUBSTRATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS THERETHROUGH; MEANS MOUNTING SAID SUBSTRATE ON SAID BULKHEAD AT A SPACED INTERVAL THEREFROM WHEREBY A CHAMBER IS FORMED BETWEEN SAID SUBSTRATE AND SAID BULKHEAD WHICH IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID OPENINGS IN SAID BULKHEAD; A HONEYCOMB SPACER MEANS SECURED TO SAID SUBSTRATE AND HAVING OPENINGS THROUGH THE WALLS OF THE CELLS THEREOF SO THAT ALL ADJACENT CELLS ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OTHER; A PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF PERFORATIONS THERETHROUGH SECURED TO SAID SPACER MEANS; AND A HONEYCOMB MATRIX FILLED WITH ABLATIVE MATERIAL AND HAVING PASSAGES BETWEEN THE CELLS THEREOF, SAID MATRIX SECURED TO SAID PLATE SO THAT EACH OF SAID PASSAGES THEREIN IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SOME OF THE PERFORATIONS IN SAID PLATE WHEREBY FLUID SUPPLIED THROUGH SAID OPENINGS IN SAID BULKHEAD WILL PASS THROUGH SAID CHAMBER, THROUGH SAID SPACER AND SAID PLATE, AND OUT THE PASSAGES IN SAID HONEYCOMB MATRIX ONTO THE SURFACE OF THE ABLATIVE MATERIAL TO COOL SAME.