NASA Heat Shield Technology Enables Space Industry Growth

by Tara Kennon
Moffett Field Ca (SPX) Jan 30, 2026

Using cutting-edge material licensed from NASA, a protective heat shield manufactured in-house by Varda Space Industries for the first time enabled one of its capsules to blaze through Earth's atmosphere on Thursday, marking a significant milestone for the agency and America's space industry. The material, known as C-PICA (Conformal Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator), provides a stronger, less expensive, and more efficient thermal protection coating to capsules, allowing them - and their valuable contents - to return to Earth safely.

Varda's W-5 capsule launched to low Earth orbit on Nov. 28, 2025, making it the latest spacecraft from the company to carry science and technology experiments from industry and government agencies into orbit.

"Heat shields allow us to bring the benefits of work done in space, including medical research, technology development, and scientific discovery, down to Earth to improve our everyday lives," said Greg Stover, associate administrator of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate at Headquarters in Washington. "By licensing heat shield material to a commercial aerospace company, NASA is fostering their ability to manufacture it independently, helping make entry system materials more readily available across the space sector."

Developed at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, C-PICA sets the standard for heat shields, reflecting the decades of expertise that NASA brings to designing, developing, and testing innovative thermal protection materials.

The transfer of NASA's C-PICA to Varda's has far-reaching benefits, as the company uses its W-series capsules as a platform to process pharmaceuticals and conduct other microgravity research.

"This flight shows what's possible when NASA and our commercial partners collaborate closely to invest in learning together," said Danielle McCulloch, program executive of NASA's Flight Opportunities program at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. "Not only does it advance the U.S. space industry, but it also takes other industries - like pharmaceuticals - to the next level, with benefits that ripple out across society."

The successful return of Varda's W-5 capsule is the latest step in a productive ongoing collaboration. NASA not only licensed the technology to Varda but also selected Varda to receive a 2023 Tipping Point award to begin C-PICA production and flight testing through the agency's Flight Opportunities program. NASA also provided technical support as the company set up its own manufacturing processes and assisted with gathering flight data. This work belongs to the growing sector of in-space manufacturing that depends in part on effective heat shields to safely return products and experiments to Earth.

Varda was the first company to license NASA's C-PICA heat shield material, which has since been licensed to several other companies. The patented technology is still available, and NASA is working with other commercial space companies interested in the material. By licensing the technology as well as transferring the manufacturing expertise, NASA is helping increase the availability of C-PICA across the space sector, opening the door to greater growth of in-space manufacturing.