From: dietz@dls.net   
      
   Len Lekx wrote:   
   >    Just out of curiosity...   
   >   
   >      What is the carbon-carbon heat shielding on the leading edges and   
   > nose of the Shuttle composed of?  I'm assuming that part of it is a   
   > grahpite-fiber cloth material, but is it embedded in a ceramic   
   > material, or a high-temperature epoxy?   
   >   
      
   Carbon-carbon is a composite made of carbon fibers embedded in ... carbon.   
      
   They make it by forming carbon cloth or fibers into the right   
   shape, then repeatedly infiltrating it with a hydrocarbon and   
   heating it to high temperature to pyrolize the hydrocarbon to   
   carbon + gases (methane, hydrogen, and others).   
      
   	Paul   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)