Spaceflight

Flexible material specialist Aero Sekur's Spacecrew Emergency Module has passed what the company calls a qualification test that was an atmospheric re-entry simulation. Held at the Italian Aerospace Research Centre's Scirocco Plasma high-enthalpy windtunnel, the module withstood the 1,250°C (2,280°F) generated during the simulation. The module, which is the result of a three-year development project by the company's dedicated space business unit, uses a silicon-based ablative heat shield supported by an inflatable structure. It is designed for astronauts to use as part of an emergency return vehicle from orbit.