US firm's space armor provides hypersonic shielding for spacecraft

US materials firm Atomic-6 has developed and unveiled Space Armor tiles, a new composite shielding technology designed to protect satellites and astronauts from hypersonic debris impacts in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). These polymer-based panels are lighter, thinner, and more effective than traditional metal-based shields like the Whipple Shield, which, despite its effectiveness, is heavy, costly, prone to fragmentation, and blocks radio-frequency (RF) signals. Atomic-6’s Space Armor can withstand impacts at speeds over 7 km/s (approximately 16,000 mph) while producing minimal secondary debris, addressing the growing threat posed by the estimated 130 million pieces of untrackable orbital debris. The Space Armor tiles come in two versions: a lighter model that shields against debris up to 3 mm in size, covering over 90% of LEO particle threats, and a heavier variant capable of resisting impacts from objects up to 12.5 mm, suitable for human space habitats. A key innovation is the composite