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A paper-thin ceramic coating, originally developed by NASA to stop space
shuttles from bursting into flames when re-entering the atmosphere, could soon
stop houses from burning down here on Earth. The coating, which can survive
temperatures of up to 1600 °C, enables the shuttle’s tiles to radiate heat
more efficiently. Now Wessex, a firm based in Virginia, has has applied the
coating to wood and other materials to prevent them catching fire. “The results
on wood are remarkable,” says Heather Thomas, Wessex’s marketing director.