Aavid Thermacore Europe Ltd (
www.thermacore-europe.com) — based at Ashington in Northumberland — has won a contract to supply its Annealed Pyrolytic Graphite (APG) technology to the European Space Agency for the Solar Orbiter satellite — due to be launched from Cape Canaveral in October 2018.
The APG technology will allow the satellite’s instruments to remain cool in searing heat, as it observes the Sun’s surface.
Aavid Thermacore is one of 10 UK companies involved in the Solar Orbiter project. It specialises in thermal management solutions for a variety of industries, including aerospace, medical, military, telecommunications, avionics, chemical processing and transportation.
Geoff Thompson, vice-president (sales and marketing), said: “The Solar Orbiter contract is a high-profile win for our business in a project that will generate global headlines.
“Our k-Core technology allows us to provide a product that has the same weight, strength and structural performance as aluminium, but with a huge increase in thermal performance.”