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How to Spec a Spacecraft or Launch-Vehicle Material: What to Send H-O for a Quote
The fastest way to a useful spacecraft material quote is to name the job and what the part sits near, not just ask for a material. Above the atmosphere, the family depends on the job and on whether the part shares space with optics, sensors, or cold surfaces, which decides how heavily outgassing governs. Here is the short list of facts that move a request from vague to manufacturable, and what our engineering team does with each one. H-O supplies materials and documentation; flight qualification is yours.
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The nine facts to send, and what each one decides
Spacecraft materials are selected as much by what they sit near as by what they do, so a useful quote starts with the location and its environment. The nine facts below are what our applications engineering team needs to recommend a family and convert it accurately. H-O supplies materials and documentation; flight qualification stays with your program. Send what you have and we will flag what is open.
- The job the part does. Thermal control, insulation, an MLI layer, a vent, or a gasket. These point at different families, and the job sets the data that matters most.
- What the part sits near. Whether it shares a vacuum, a line of sight, or a thermal path with optics, sensors, or cold surfaces, since that decides how heavily outgassing governs.
- The outgassing requirement. Whether the location needs ASTM E595-screened grades, and whether CVCM in particular is the governing metric. We will steer toward grades whose TDS reports the screening.
- The thermal-cycling range. The temperature extremes the part sees, since survival through cycling, not just steady performance, drives the material choice.
- For a thermal part, the heat and the gap; for insulation, the thickness. The component footprint and gap to the sink, or the insulation thickness and the surface it wraps.
- Dielectric or barrier requirement. Any dielectric-strength (ASTM D149) or barrier function the part also performs.
- Geometry. A drawing or DXF is ideal; a dimensioned sketch starts a quote; an existing part we can measure works too.
- Attachment and bondability. Pressure-sensitive adhesive, a bondable film surface (such as an FEP-coated polyimide), mechanical capture, or a lay-in.
- Documentation and quantities. The data package your program expects, including outgassing lines, plus sample needs, estimated usage, and kit structure.
From Request to Converted Part
| What you send | What it decides |
|---|---|
| Job + what it sits near | The family and how heavily outgassing governs |
| Outgassing requirement | E595-screened grades; CVCM weighting near optics |
| Thermal-cycling range | Resilience and expansion behavior of the grade |
| Heat and gap, or insulation thickness | Spreader vs filler; insulation grade and build |
| Geometry, attachment, quantities | The converting method and the kit structure |
Qualitative guidance only; confirm grades and their outgassing data on the current technical data sheets. Flight qualification belongs to your program.
What engineering does with the list
With the job and proximity defined, we shortlist a family: graphite spreaders or boron-nitride pads for thermal control, Cryogel Z or SOLIMIDE for insulation, Kapton and Apical films for MLI layers, and ePTFE vents for sealed enclosures. The outgassing requirement filters the grade toward E595-screened options, the thermal-cycling range confirms the chemistry, and the geometry and attachment set the converting method. The output is a family-and-grade direction plus a converted-part quote with documentation, not a flight-qualification status.
What happens after you send it
We confirm the family-and-grade direction and the converting approach, quote the converted part to your drawing, and flag open questions, such as an unstated outgassing requirement or a missing thermal range. For common configurations on materials we keep on hand, samples typically ship in three to five business days; standard production runs about two weeks after drawing approval, with expedited service available.
Every order carries the maker's TDS, outgassing lines included where the grade reports them, under our ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system.
The mistakes this checklist prevents
The list heads off the costly failures. Without the proximity to sensitive hardware, a thermally ideal grade can be chosen that outgasses onto an optic. Without the thermal-cycling range, a material can be specified that cracks or delaminates across the extremes. Without the gap dimension, a thermal pad can be quoted that does not bridge to the sink. And without the documentation requirement, parts can ship without the outgassing data the program expects. Nine facts up front replace several rounds of revision.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important thing to tell H-O about a spacecraft material?
The job the part does and what it sits near. Whether it shares a vacuum, a line of sight, or a thermal path with optics, sensors, or cold surfaces decides how heavily outgassing governs the choice. Add the thermal-cycling range and the key dimensions and we can point at an E595-screened family quickly.
Do I need a full drawing, or is a sketch enough?
A drawing or DXF is ideal, but a dimensioned sketch starts a quote, and we can measure an existing part to reverse-engineer it. What we need early is the job, the proximity to sensitive hardware, the thermal range, and the key dimensions, since those define the part and the outgassing requirement before geometry is final.
Can H-O supply launch-site GSE and processing materials too?
Yes. Alongside flight-side materials we convert ground-support and manufacturing consumables, protective films, release materials, and dunnage, used in spacecraft processing and at the launch site. Tell us the GSE or processing need and we will quote the converted consumables along with the flight-side parts.
What documentation comes with the parts?
The maker's technical data sheet for the exact grade supplied, including ASTM E595 outgassing lines where the grade reports them, plus lot-coded traceability under our ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system. Tell us what your program expects so the package matches. H-O supplies the converted part and its documentation; flight qualification is established by your program.
Is the converted part flight-certified by H-O?
No. H-O supplies converted materials and the maker's published data, including outgassing screening. Flight qualification and certification are established by your program's processes. We hold no flight-certification claim and make no qualification or contamination-control determination; what we provide is the accurate converted part and its documentation.
Send the job, get a spacecraft material quote
Send the job, what the part sits near, the thermal range, any outgassing requirement, and the geometry, and we will steer toward E595-screened grades and quote converted parts to your drawing.
Samples typically ship in 3 to 5 business days for common die-cut configurations on materials we keep on hand; standard production runs about two weeks after drawing approval; expedited service is available. MOQ varies by material and part.
Family-owned in Winsted, Connecticut since 1971 · ISO 9001:2015 certified · OEMs worldwide send us a drawing — and get back their part.
Related reading
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Send H-O your drawing or describe the part—engineering reviews every RFQ and converts samples on your geometry.
Last updated · Reviewed by H-O Products engineering (ISO 9001:2015 certified converter, Winsted, CT).
References
- ASTM E595 (outgassing screening: TML and CVCM); ASTM C177 / C518 (thermal conductivity); ASTM C1101 (flexible blanket insulation); ASTM D5470 (thermal impedance); ASTM D149 (dielectric strength).
- Cited by designation; H-O performs no outgassing or flight-qualification testing.
- Manufacturer technical data sheets: SpreaderShield and eGRAF HiTherm graphite, Sil-Pad and Gap-Pad boron-nitride silicone, Cryogel Z and Pyrogel XTE aerogel, SOLIMIDE polyimide foam, Kapton HN / FN and Apical NP polyimide film, ePTFE membrane vent and sheet, PORON grades reporting E595.
This article summarizes material-selection principles for spacecraft and launch-vehicle hardware using the families and method designations cited on the parent application page. Comparisons are qualitative; thermal, dielectric, and outgassing values are per each grade's current technical data sheet, and no test results are quoted.
ASTM E595 and other designations are named for orientation only; H-O performs no outgassing or qualification testing and makes no flight-certification determinations. All parts are custom manufactured to order; minimum production run quantities vary by material and part. H-O is a converter, not a raw-material producer.