New satellite made from CORK could help smaller spacecraft re-enter Earth’s atmosphere intact by directing heat toward parts of the hull designed to burn up and flake away

This week the European Space Agency will begin testing a new kind of spacecraft partially made from cork in the hopes of finding a safer way to re-enter the atmosphere. Called ‘QubeSat for Aerothermodynamic Research and Measurements on Ablation,’ the vessel is made up of a series of cubes stacked on top of each other and measures around a foot in height. More

(Source: Daily Mail - Feb 18)