Biddeford company plays important role on Mars 2020 Perseverance Mission

BIDDEFORD — Local company Fiber Materials Inc. played an important role in NASA’s recent Mars 2020 Perseverance mission.

“Our Maine team was the mastermind behind the heat shield that protected the aeroshell containing the rover vehicle as it withstood the 3500°F temperatures experienced during Martian atmospheric entry. Perseverance will now spend at least one Mars year (two Earth years) searching for signs of ancient life and collecting rock and soil samples for return to Earth,” said the company in a social media statement.

Fiber Materials Inc., located at 5 Morin St., is a subsidiary of Spirit AeroSystems. The company was awarded a $24 million contract with NASA to provide thermal protection systems for three NASA missions under the agency’s Science Mission Directorate: Mars Sample Return/ Earth Entry Vehicle; MSR Sample Return Lander; and Dragonfly, according to a press release from NASA.

Officials from Spirit AeroSystems stated in a press release that the company is one of the world's largest manufacturers of aerostructures for commercial airplanes, defense platforms, and business/regional jets. The company’s expertise lies in aluminum and advanced composite manufacturing solutions, and their products include fuselages, integrated wings and wing components, pylons, thrust reversers and nacelles- streamlined enclosures on engines.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at [email protected].