Aerodynamic heating, which is generally recognised as one of the most important aspects of the re-entry technology, plays an important role in the design of re-entry vehicles. Vehicles entering the earth's atmosphere at high velocities are subjected to severe heating. A number of methods are available for protecting the interior of a re-entering vehicle. However, preliminary studies indicate that, in general, utilisation of a charring ablator is one of the most effective thermal protection systems.