Did orbiters use foam as insulation like shuttles used to?

Question

Shuttles used to (or still do; please clarify this for me, too) use foam to protect the shuttle from aerodynamic forces and heat; did orbiters also use foam for this purpose?

Sorry; foam didn't protect the shuttles from heat.

Ignore the last detail; I was talking about something else.

Answer 1

the space shuttle uses insulation foam on the external tank so the tank does not freeze up from the -100 + degree temperatures of the liquid hydrogen and oxygen. the shuttle orbiter (the delta winged plane that returns to earth after a mission) uses thermal protection, re inforced carbon-carbon tiles and an insulation blanket to protect from the heat of launch and re entry they also use a foam gap filler to further protect the underside of the shuttle.

Answer 2

The foam is only there to keep the -400 degree liquid hydrogen fuel from heating up too fast. The tank is then thrown out and destroyed after several minutes of use (when it's nearly empty). They use what's essentially ceramic to protect from reentry heat.

Answer 3

I presume you mean the space capsules they used to use before they started to use the 'bus'.

they didnt need them. The curved underside of the capsules created a high pressure air buffer. Most of the friction occured on the outer edge of that buffer and kept the extreme heat away from the capsule itself.

This doesnt happen with the shuttle, hence the need for a heat shield.

Answer 4

No they used either a Heat Shield or carbon tiles to protect the underlying structure of aluminum or titanium.

Answer 5

No, they used an ablative heat shield -- layers of material that would heat up, then peel away carrying off the heat.