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An Irish company's product will become the closest man-made object to the Sun

All going to plan…

THE NEW €1.5 million headquarters of Irish space technology firm EnBio was officially opened in Clonmel yesterday.

The Space Technology Centre – whose management team all graduated from Irish universities – will employ 12 new people between now and the end of 2016 as staff work to produce vital parts for a European Space Agency mission to the Sun.

The firm will be producing ‘next generation’ surface treatments designed to cope with the harsh conditions of outer space.

They’ll be used on board the ESA ‘Solar Orbiter’ which has been scheduled to launch in 2018. The spacecraft will carry a suite of 10 state-of-the art instruments to observe the surface of the star, and study the changes that take place in solar winds.

4343 Artist's impression of the Solar Orbiter ESA Solar Orbiter ESA Solar Orbiter

EnBio’s coatings will protect all of the sun-facing surfaces of the ESA craft, allowing scientists to get closer to the sun than any previous mission – and in the process making the firm’s coating the closest man-made object to the Sun.

How does it work?

Well, the company plans use a patented technology platform, CoBlast – invented by CEO John O’Donoghue – to produce a unique ‘SolarBlack’ product, which it will then deploy on the satellite surfaces.

Here comes the science…

CoBlast replaces the oxide layer of a metal – typically aluminium or titanium – with a thin surface which fuses to the metal in a single, environmentally friendly process step, requiring no chemicals or thermal input.

The firm has been “setting new records” for getting a technology from concept to flight-qualified status by the ESA, O’Donoghue said.

A complementary ceramic surface, ‘SolarWhite’, reflective white coating, has also been developed by EnBio.

Following its launch in three year’s time, the Solar Orbiter will take another three-and-a-half years to reach its operational orbit around the Sun, modifying its path by making close flybys of Earth and Venus.

The orbit will take it to within 43 million km of the Sun – closer than Mercury, the innermost planet.

Read: Bus drivers could use multiple strike days to force company action

Read: Why settle for just a house? This entire village in Kildare is for sale

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19 Comments
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    Mute Denis Reidy
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:37 PM

    I’d say Denis O Brien sleeps very well in his tax haven

    105
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    Mute RonanM
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:38 PM

    Yawn

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    Mute Con Manne
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    Apr 9th 2015, 1:19 PM

    What’s the difference between a light on and a hard on? You can sleep with a light on.

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    Mute Elma Phudd
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    Apr 9th 2015, 1:35 PM

    Con. It’s ‘what’s the difference between light and hard?’!

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    Mute Denis Reidy
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    Apr 9th 2015, 5:29 PM

    Semi?

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    Mute Con Manne
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    Apr 9th 2015, 9:07 PM

    Bungalow.

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    Mute Joseph O'Regan
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    Apr 9th 2015, 1:07 PM

    Lot of people working two jobs to make ends meet in America so not much time for sleep.

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    Mute Elma Phudd
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:56 PM

    I was obviously rich until the last 3-4 nights and will be poor until the weekend. Can’t feckin sleep at all right now!

    59
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    Mute Tom
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:59 PM

    I find that glancing at thejournal.ie comments section is both tiring and uplifting.
    You get the same old tiresome whinging from 5 he same contributors and you get to feel superior as well. Great night’s sleep guaranteed.

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    Mute Chris
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    Apr 9th 2015, 1:00 PM

    A lot of them are unconscionable sociopaths – fleecing people actually helps them get a better sleep.

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    Mute Peter Hargan
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    Apr 9th 2015, 1:07 PM

    Food,warmth and a nice comfy bed might just have something to do with it

    29
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    Mute Michael Skellig
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    Apr 9th 2015, 4:21 PM

    The rich have no conscience, hence more sleep.

    25
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    Mute Joanna
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:39 PM

    Maybe because not rich people need to work more?

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    Mute Top Cat
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:42 PM

    Or because rich people aren’t out until all hours slangin rocks of crack.

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    Mute saltaroo
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:46 PM

    Cos that’s what everyone on the poverty line does

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    Mute Whatsup Dok
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    Apr 9th 2015, 1:21 PM

    hmm, I’m poorer than I realised so

    16
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    Mute The Professor
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    Apr 9th 2015, 2:08 PM

    The headline changed again! Like something you would see in the English tabloid papers. I bet the journalists sit around the office high-fiving each other after every effort

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    Mute Caroline Dunlea
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    Apr 9th 2015, 5:01 PM

    Having the few bob eases the mind… D’oh!

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    Mute Noel Falkhall
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    Apr 9th 2015, 3:31 PM

    My wife who is rich beyond belief has tough time sleeping and I the poor one sleep like a log every night so the story is a crock….

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    Mute Colin C
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    Apr 9th 2015, 3:25 PM

    The socialist solution to this is to make sure no one sleeps. Then we will all be equal. And that’s the main thing.

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    Mute William lynn
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    Apr 9th 2015, 10:11 PM

    And what did the study say about sleeping on a bed of money ?

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    Mute Calisto Roberto
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    Jul 29th 2016, 8:12 AM

    Hello everyone i want to share my testimony on how i belong to illuminati member, a friend of mine always give me money…because he was very rich, one day he said he is not going to give me fish that he is going to teach me how to fish, so i was very happy, i never new he was a member of illuminati since we started our friendship! so i was initiated to the illuminati order and few days later i was awarded a contract worth of millions of Dollars, in my business i am doing very well right now, i can now influence people, render financial help etc, if you want to become a member contact us via email: illuminatiorder.co@gmail.com or call +2348137838605

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