Coatings update: Space age and atomic coatings

The point has been made that space exploration would probably not have been possible had it not been for surface coatings in one form or another. The most important of these coatings are the so‐called ablative thermal barriers and the thermal‐control surface coatings. The former are necessary to aid in the re‐entry of the vehicle, for at this point tremendous heat is generated by friction. The coating sacrifices itself and, in so doing, utilizes the heat and prevents it from gaining access to the interior of the vehicle. The thermal‐control coatings serve to maintain a constant temperature within the vehicle.