LI-900

LI-900 is a type of reusable surface insulation tile developed and manufactured by Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in Sunnyvale, California.

An LI-900 tile can be heated to 1,204 °C (1,477 K; 2,199 °F) and then immediately plunged into cold water and suffer no damage.

[2] Black and white tiles were used on the Space Shuttle to control the temperature of the vehicle while in orbit.

The tile was therefore not suitable to be used in high-stress areas such as around the landing gear doors and windows.

To solve this, a higher strength version of the LI-900 material was produced, with a bulk density of 352.4 kg/m3 (22 lb/ft3), which was called the LI-2200.

Simulation of the outside of the Shuttle as it heats up to over 1,500 °C [ 1 ] during re-entry
A used tile from Atlantis