Well, doesn’t the space shuttle withstand intense heat on re-entry? Perhaps it’s built to withstand little chunks of volcano ash as well. Or, whatever is out there in space that’s much worse - sharper, moving through space much faster, whatever. If the windshield glass is a problem, use space shuttle technologies to make the windshield glass more scratch resistant. Figure out all the potential problems with airplanes and volcanic ash and see what can be fixed.
Yes, but the space shuttle is essentially a glider that re-enters the earth's atmosphere nose up, with its belly exposed to the heat of re-entry. The belly is covered with heat-resistant tiles, but not the rest of the orbiter.
That technology won't help us with designing a jet engine that can ingest volcanic ash and keep running.
If the windshield glass is a problem, use space shuttle technologies to make the windshield glass more scratch resistant.
The windows on the space shuttle aren't any more scratch resistant than the windows on a 747. They're not meant to resist the pummeling of re-entry.
Building an ash-proof airplane is going to require some new technology.
I've seen a photomicrograph (photo taken through a microscope) of a divot in a space-shuttle windshield.
The divot was made by a high-speed collision.
With a speck of paint.