What happens when you can literally watch a spacecraft’s heat shield burn away—microscopically, in real time? Using cutting-edge X-ray microtomography, scientists have captured the first-ever 4D view of carbon fiber composites as they face the fury of hypersonic flight. From shallow “fast burns” to hidden “slow collapses,” this research is rewriting what we thought we knew about survival in fire.
🔥 #Spacecraft #HeatShield #Hypersonic #AerospaceEngineering #4DImaging #SpaceScience #MaterialScience #QuantumEchoes #SciencePodcast 🚀