Editing Thermal insulation (section)

===Spacecraft===
[[Image:Huygens thermal multilayer insulation.jpg|thumb|right|Thermal insulation on the [[Huygens probe]]]]
[[File:Aircraft cabin insulation in a B747-8.jpg|thumb|Cabin insulation of a [[Boeing 747-8]] airliner]]
Launch and re-entry place severe mechanical stresses on spacecraft, so the strength of an insulator is critically important; the failure of insulating tiles on the [[Space Shuttle Columbia|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'']] caused the shuttle airframe to overheat and break apart during reentry, killing the astronauts on board. Re-entry through the atmosphere generates very high temperatures due to compression of the air at high speeds. Insulators must meet demanding physical properties beyond their thermal transfer retardant properties. Examples of insulation used on spacecraft include reinforced [[carbon]]-carbon composite nose cone and [[silicon dioxide|silica]] fiber tiles of the [[Space Shuttle]]. See also [[Insulative paint]].