NASA's Orion Capsule Features Thermal Protecting Chrome Paint Job

Late last week, NASA unveiled one of the features of its in-development Orion spacecraft, which will be used to transport human crews one day in missions to Mars and deep space. The agency highlighted the capsule's new metallic chrome color, which isn't for impressive looks, but rather to protect the spacecraft from extreme heat and cold during its missions.

The shiny coating is said to be part of Orion's new thermal protection system, which is vital for protecting astronauts during their decent to Earth when returning home. Other components of the system include a heat shield along the capsule's bottom, which faces into the atmosphere during reentry, and thermal tiles along the rest of the spacecraft that reduce the heat inside.

NASA explains that the new paint is also vital when the spacecraft is in deep space, where the temperatures are extremely cold. The coating will help keep what heat there is inside the spacecraft, thus reducing the energy needed to warm the interior.

Orion's next unmanned test flight will take place in 2018, when it will spend three weeks in space followed by a high-speed re-entry to put the thermal protection system through its paces. Orion's first flight with a crew is currently scheduled for no later than 2023.

SOURCE: NASA