Space

FMI has a legacy of delivering high-performance materials for defense and space applications. Our work with space applications involves temperature-resistant materials that withstand the entry, descent, and landing (EDL) phases of space travel that expose spacecraft to extreme thermal, mechanical, and oxidative environments.

To meet these challenges, FMI fabricates heat shield components and thermal protection materials for both commercial aerospace programs and government space exploration missions. Our solutions are used to protect payloads from the intense heating and aerodynamic forces encountered during atmospheric entry. Learn more about our capabilities and services for space applications.

Re-Entry Heat Shields

Our materials have been successfully flown on notable NASA missions including Stardust, Mars Science Lab, OSIRIS-REx, and Mars 2020. Depending on mission requirements, we can design heat shields for either single-use or limited reusability. We provide:

  • PICA (Phenolic Infused Carbon Ablator)
  • HEEET (Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology)
  • 3MDCP (3D Medium Density Carbon Phenolic)

Re-entry heat shields must withstand some of the most severe environments in space travel. FMI supplies advanced materials for high thermal loads, shear forces, and reactive atmospheric conditions. These heat shield materials resist:

  • High heat flux
  • High wind shear
  • Oxidative environments
  • Impact loads

Propulsion Systems

In addition to TPS and heat shields, FMI supplies critical components for space propulsion systems. Our materials are used in some of the most demanding environments in spaceflight, including solid rocket motors—common in booster applications that require high thrust—and liquid rocket motors—common in situations when thermal control and erosion resistance are essential. We manufacture:

  • Attitude control system components to maintain spacecraft orientation during flight
  • Rocket nozzles that withstand the extreme forces and temperatures of launch
  • Integral throat and entrance (ITE) components for rocket motors

Materials & Technologies

All of our space solutions are constructed with advanced composite material systems that balance strength, heat resistance, and weight efficiency. Our most common materials include ablative composites designed for thermal protection through planned surface degradation during re-entry, carbon-carbon composites for TPS and propulsion applications, and ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) which provide reusable, high-temperature resistance for structural and propulsion components.

Many of our materials are custom-developed or proprietary and are developed and manufactured in direct collaboration with our customers’ mission teams. As such they provide distinct advantages over standard space-grade composites including superior thermal insulation high durability, and optimized weight performance.