UK-made inserts for plastics go ‘out of this world’ as part of space programme

Threaded brass inserts for plastic parts have literally gone ‘out of this world’ as part of a space programme.

UK manufacturer, Fitsco, has provided its ‘Screwfit’ inserts to ‘Sent into Space’, a programme devised by two former students from the University of Sheffield.

Sent Into Space designs, manufactures, launches and recovers special balloon payloads which ascend high above the Earth into near-space, taking with them anything from cameras and scientific experiments to instantly recognisable brand images carried aloft for a number of household names.

The craft is sent clean through the troposphere and into the stratosphere, upwards of 40km, where air pressure is less than one percent of that at ground level and temperatures drop below -60°C.

The specific application using Fitsco's inserts remains a secret.