This morning, China's independently developed reusable space plane, "Zhu Ri" (Chasing the Sun), successfully completed its first hypersonic round-trip flight test at a testing base in northwest China. The highlight of this mission was the large-scale application of the "Ultra-High Temperature Resistant Fluorosilicone-Ceramic Gradient Composite Material," developed by the Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, on the engine nozzle and wing leading edges. The material successfully withstood aerodynamic heating reaching 3000°C during atmospheric re-entry and intense atomic oxygen erosion, marking a milestone breakthrough in thermal protection materials for space vehicles in China. According to the chief designer, "Zhu Ri" experiences drastic temperature changes from the deep cold of space (-150°C) to high friction temperatures in the atmosphere (>3000°C), conditions under which traditional materials are prone to spalling or failure. The new gradient material uses high-phenyl silicone rubber as a flexible buffer layer on the inside to effectively absorb thermal stress, while the outer layer forms a dense fluorinated silicon carbide ceramic layer via in-situ growth technology, offering excellent oxidation resistance and ablation resistance. Telemetry data showed that during the 45-minute hypersonic flight, although the material surface temperature exceeded 3000°C, the internal structural temperature remained below 200°C with no structural damage detected. Industry experts point out that this achievement not only validates the modification potential of fluorosilicone materials in extreme thermal environments but also lays a solid material foundation for China's future construction of a "One-Hour Global Reach" transportation system and normalized space tourism. With the successful test flight of "Zhu Ri," the related industrial chain is expected to see explosive growth in the second half of 2026, propelling China's commercial aerospace sector into a new phase.
IOTA FLSR3400 addition-type liquid fluorosilicone rubber