Never Enough Thermal Protection Department

Today's Space.com has a great story on a new system for protecting spacecraft from the blazing heat of re-entry. Called ARMOR after its qualities, it is an Adaptable, Robust, Metallic (and thus cheaper to make than the high-tech ceramic tiles on the Space Shuttle fleet), Operable, and Reuseable system that promises to make space travel more common-place by making it safe at a lower cost.

Research like this is leading the way towards the day when space travel is more commonplace--a day I've been eagerly awaiting for years and years. YAY ME.