What type of metal is used on the outside of rocket ships?

Question

or the space shuttle? I know it has to have a high melting point otherwise the covering would melt while leaving the earth's atmosphere.

Answer 1

Titanium.

The nose cone is a shielded Titanium alloy.

Answer 2

There are various metals used in aircraft and space craft, most commonly aluminum, titanium and steel. Some nickel and magnesium alloys are also sometimes used in select applications.

You statement however about the covering melting while leaving the earth's atmosphere is not correct, it is the re-entry which causes the heating. To avoid melting, some sort of re-entry shielding must be used. On the space shuttle, it is the special ceramic tiles which cover the skin. Similar type material is used on the bottom of capsule type re-entry vehicles.

Answer 3

i researched this recently and i didn't read anywhere that metals are used as an insulating covering on spaceships. this is because that metals have a high thermal conductivity- they conduct heat much faster because of their free electrons. and the last thing nasa wants is their space shuttle conducting heat very fast and warming up the whole interior of the space shuttle or the whole thing will explode.
therefore, composite materials are used for insulation in space shuttles. composite materials like fibreglass, reinforced carbon carbon (carbon fibres in a matrix of graphite), and nomex are used for the insulation covering of space shuttle. they have very low values of thermal conductivities (so they won't conduct heat- this is because they dont have free electrons to conduct the heat).
recently in february 2003, space shuttle columbia exploded while re-entering the earth's atmosphere because a carbon panel got broken and heat entered the whole space shuttle and it slowly distintegrated. however that is because reinforced carbon carbon has low impact resistance. it breaks easily.
still, composite materials are much preferred for insluation than metals.

Answer 4

Some of the shuttle, at least, has ceramic shielding. Ceramics can withstand very high temperatures.