What catastrophic risk is associated with poor installation or misalignment between TPS components?

Answer

Superheated gases can impinge directly onto the underlying structure, causing localized melting.

Any defect, such as a gap or misalignment where two materials meet, creates a pathway for superheated gases to directly contact and destroy the structure beneath the protection layer.

What catastrophic risk is associated with poor installation or misalignment between TPS components?
Aerospaceaeronauticsheat shieldthermal protection systemreentry vehicle