Sunrise and earth view from space

Advancing Exploration: Aviation, Astro and Space

To make aviation projects, astronomy and space missions possible, we partner with the industry to create innovative materials that overcome challenges and realize visions. For over a century, SCHOTT has provided cutting-edge solutions including glass-ceramics, specialty glass and glass-to-metal sealings.

Scalable solutions  

Due to their extraordinary properties, such as radiation resistance, thermal stability and mechanical stability, our products are ideally suited to realize projects even in the harshest environments and under the toughest conditions. Our materials portfolio has many applications on the ground, in the air, and in space. Production and volume of our products is highly scalable – a cost-efficient solution to industrialize certain standard components for the commercial aviation and space industries.  

Milky way at Alabama Hills

Pioneers with a vision

At SCHOTT, we are fascinated by exploring the unknown. With our products and solutions, we enable missions that help explore the universe and improve life here on earth. We are proud to have supported many ground-breaking missions and projects and are thrilled about what is still to come. We help you develop the solutions that make your projects a success. We work with you as a close and trusted partner to provide you with the best materials, coatings, components, and expertise for your application.

Material solutions for the astro and space industry 

Glass-ceramics: high precision in harsh conditions

Mirror substrates are crucial for telescopes, satellites and other optical instruments. The glass-ceramic manufactured by SCHOTT is characterized by outstanding precision and impressive durability.

More about ZERODUR® glass-ceramic
Close up of an orange disc of ZERODUR® glass-ceramic by SCHOTT
ZERODUR® light-weighted glass-ceramic with an extremely low thermal expansion providing highest precision in space applications.

Photovoltaic covers: longer lifespans for space missions

The next generation of satellites and spacecraft needs improved photovoltaic systems to generate energy over a longer period of time. Our SCHOTT® Solar Cell Cover Glass Family delivers reliable protection against radiation for sensitive photovoltaic cells, harnessing the sun’s energy over a spacecraft’s lifetime.  

Our solar cell cover glasses feature outstanding transmission and are made to withstand solarization, caused by UV- & particle- radiation, which means that energy can be efficiently gained during long missions. 

Learn more about Solar Cell Cover Glasses
Large sheet of SCHOTT solar glass held by gloved hands
The main goal of our Solar Cell Cover Glasses is to offer effective protection for space and terrestrial photovoltaics.

Thermal Protection: safeguarding at high velocities

Reentering Earth’s atmosphere subjects spacecraft to incredible stress and high temperatures. Our special porous glass CoralPor® forms the strongest thermal protection system for getting precious cargo back to Earth safely.  

More about CoralPor®
Microscopic image of CoralPor® Nano-Porous glass powder
CoralPor® Nano-Porous glass has rigid amorphous microstructures that offer outstanding properties, including robust mechanical, thermal, and chemical resistance.

Electronic packaging: protecting sensitive electronics

Avionics need to function reliably despite extreme temperature changes and extreme stresses. Electronics going into space have many mission critical jobs, such as communications, navigation systems, and propulsions monitoring. Our Microelectronic Packaging are built to last, keeping sensitive electronics functioning even in the harshest of environments.

Learn more about Microelectronic Packaging
Range of SCHOTT’s hermetic microelectronic packages
Hermetic packages from SCHOTT meet the latest and toughest specifications, including extreme performance and lifetime expectations.

Optical glass: Delivering more reliable imaging

Optical glass plays a crucial role in VIS and SWIR cameras, optical metrology, and other imaging systems. These applications require optical glass with exceptional homogeneity and extremely narrow variations in refraction to deliver high quality images and data: on earth, in the air, and up in space. Our radiation resistant glasses haven proven superior performance across a number of successful missions even after decades in harsh environments such as ionizing radiation.

More about optical glass
Close up of a clear block of optical glass
SCHOTT provides you with scalable optical glass solutions that exceed your requirements and come tailor-made for your specific application.

Application solutions for the aviation, astro and space industry

Front view of an aircraft in a blue sky

Aircraft

Aircrafts design requires both technical precision in areas such as electronics, sensors, navigation and displays, as well as interior design elements through features like cabin and seat illumination. Here SCHOTT’s products contribute to both technical excellence in aviation as well as a superior travel experience for passengers.

Observatory with high powered telescope for astronomy

Telescopes

In order to realize groundbreaking projects in astronomy, scientists rely on special materials to deliver optical precision. SCHOTT manufactures customized, high-precision glass-ceramic materials, for telescope mirror substrates and other precision instruments.

Satellite in orbit around the Earth

Satellites

SCHOTT works closely with the space industry to produce components that optimize performance for the next generation of satellites, such as mirror substrates, photovoltaic cover, optical glass, and electronic packaging.

View of the earth from space

Aerospace

SCHOTT supplies the aerospace industry with specialty glass and glass-ceramic materials such as sensors, displays, and heat shielding. Our materials are highly customizable and scalable in volume.

SCHOTT’s historical milestones in aviation, astro, and space

In 1896 SCHOTT pioneered the first production process for large optical glasses, enabling a new generation of telescope mirrors for observatories. Since then, our experts have continued innovating, expanding our product portfolio to include glass-ceramics and glass-to-metal sealings. We are proud to have supplied many famous missions – on Earth, in our solar system, and even in interstellar space. And we want to help you go even further.

Current projects: Supporting pioneers

The ELT (Extremely Large Telescope) observatory on the Cerro Armazones mountain in Chile

The world’s most powerful eye on the sky

Discover the exciting story of the European Southern Observatory’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) currently being built in the Atacama Desert in Chile. With its 39-m main mirror, it will be the largest optical /near infrared telescope when it sees its first light in 2028. The ELT will provide us with a better understanding of the origins of our universe.

Learn more about the ELT