An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the effect of variations in the load configuration and the resulting pressure distribution, on the thermal contact conductance of two 12.70 x 17.78 x 2.54 cm (5x7x1 in.) aluminum 6061-T6 surfaces. Four load configurations consisting of 4 x 4, 4 x 6, 5 x 7, and 6x8 arays were evaluated. A self-contained, general-purpos e finite element program (ANSYS) and a relatively new pressure-sensitive film were used to determine the pressure distribution as a function of the total applied load. The 5x7 array was found to minimize the number of load points yet provide optimum thermal characteristics. Using this load configuration, a second set of experiments was conducted to determine the degree to which the thermal contact conductance could be enhanced through the application of selected coatings. Three coating materials were evaluated, a 2.5 /*m thick layer of indium, a molybdenum disulfide coating (Moly-Tiolub-1175) 1.25 fJLm thick, and a Teflon impregnated anodized coating (Hard-Tuf X20) 1.25 pm thick. The results indicated that the thermal contact conductance of the thermal test pads could be enhanced by a factor of almost four by adding a coating of indium approximately 2.5 /un thick on one surface. The Moly-Tiolub-1175 and Hard-Tuf X20 coatings, while providing a somewhat more durable surface than indium, resulted in reductions in the thermal contact conductance of approximately 65% and 77%, respectively.