Aero Sekur re-entry module passes milestone CIRA test

Added: (Wed Oct 08 2008)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Aero Sekur’s SPEM (SPacecrew Emergency Module) has successfully passed a major qualification test to simulate atmospheric re-entry. The achievement for Aero Sekur (www.aerosekur.com) is a significant milestone in the product’s development cycle which opens doors for flight test funding and on-board trials.

The test at the Scirocco Plasma high-enthalpy wind tunnel at CIRA, the Italian Aerospace Research Centre, has confirmed that Aero Sekur’s module will withstand the extreme temperatures of around 1,250°C generated during atmospheric re-entry.

Designed for use as an escape mechanism by orbiting astronauts, and for returning samples to earth, the module uses a silicon based ablative heat shield supported by an inflatable structure. The module, which has a scheduled operational date of 2015, has been developed to protect an astronaut or sensitive payload during emergency re-entry phase. At less than half the weight of traditional MMC or ceramic solutions, Aero Sekur’s re-entry option will provide considerable savings in mission operation costs.

Commenting, Mark Butler, Aero Sekur’s CEO said: “Meeting the exacting standards of the wind tunnel test is testimony to the fact that Aero Sekur’s inflatable module is a viable option to traditional tile based solutions and that we can provide a flexible, lightweight and cost-effective re-entry solution.”

Aero Sekur’s re-entry module is the result of a three year development project by the company’s dedicated space business unit.

Aero Sekur, the specialist manufacturer of safety systems and advanced flexible structures, has a forty year history of innovation and expertise supplying the global aerospace and defence markets.