Since the beginning of space exploration, cork has been used so successfully in the aerospace industry that Donald Thomas, NASA astronaut, went so far as saying: "Never leave Earth without cork"!
In the European Space Agency (ESA)’s IXV mission, cork was used in the Ablative Thermal Protection System, based on a sophisticated engineering programme. The project was coordinated by Thales Alenia Space of Italy and the ESA. Amorim Cork Composites collaborated in the project and developed a cork composite capable of protecting the space vehicle’s structure from the effects of the thermal environment, from the initial phase on the ground, until re-entry into the atmosphere and the descent stage.
Two materials were used in the Ablative Thermal Protection System (TPS): the Amorim Cork Composites P50 composite, with very high thermal insulation capacity, and a silicone based material that covers the antennae and electronic devices.
