Space shuttle vehicles employ different thermal protection materials under varying conditions.This paper reviews five commonly used thermal protection materials：thermal protection coatings，thermal protection/structural integrated materials，thermal insulation tiles，flexible thermal protection materials，and honeycomb-reinforced ablation materials，summarizes their recent research progress，and offers recommendations for future development.Thermal protective coatings require further enhancement of resin high-temperature resistance；thermal protection/structure-integrated materials still face challenges in structural design，manufacturing，and failure mechanisms；insulating tiles need improved high-temperature mechanical performance and refined fabrication processes；flexible thermal protection materials，being foldable and adhesive，hold diverse application prospects；and honeycomb-reinforced ablative materials are lightweight and commonly used for large-area thermal protection on spacecraft.With the continual advancement of aerospace equipment，thermal protection materials are entering a major period of development.