18 April 2012 SHEFEX during mechanical testing at Astrium
Ottobrunn The DLR-developed SHEFEX II spacecraft during final
testing in April 2012 at Astrium in Ottobrunn. SHEFEX II during
re-entry into Earth's atmosphere Artist's impression of SHEFEX
II during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. The frontal part of
SHEFEX II will experience extremely high temperatures at
altitudes between 100 and 20 kilometres as the spacecraft
travels at a speed of almost three kilometres per second. DLR
(CC-BY 3.0). Installing the tip of SHEFEX II Hannah Böhrk and
Henning Elsässer, installing the ceramic heat shield tiles. The
two researchers, from the DLR Institute of Structures and
Design, have been working on the design and integration of the
spacecraft nose, and the construction of the heat shield for the
body of SHEFEX II. Their institute developed the ceramic fibre
composite being used here. The use of new materials, which
retain their strength at temperatures above 1500 degrees
Celsius, makes the use of sharp edges in hype