I.S.T. Corporation Introduces White TORMED®, a New Polyimide Film Platform for Spacecraft Thermal Control

At just 25 microns, the white polyimide film combines controlled thickness and low mass with a finished-film format designed to simplify spacecraft thermal-control manufacturing and support integrated functionality.

SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- I.S.T. Corporation introduced White TORMED®, a new white polyimide film platform for spacecraft thermal-control applications, at the 40th Annual Small Satellite Conference (SmallSat 2026).

Building on 45 years of polyimide expertise and the continued development of TORMED® for space applications, I.S.T. Corporation began with a material question: Could thermal-control functionality be incorporated directly into a lightweight, flexible polyimide film? That exploration led to White TORMED®.

White TORMED® is a finished, film-based design option that combines controlled thickness, low mass and repeatable thermal performance. Its flexible film format can simplify thermal-control manufacturing by replacing repeated coating, curing and drying steps with direct film application. The non-fluoropolymer film is designed for direct integration with composite structures and functional layers, including metals, and for adhesive-free co-curing with prepreg—a patent-pending integration technology that simplifies assembly and eliminates additional bonding steps.

A thin-film platform for thermal performance and manufacturing efficiency

Unlike a coating formed on the spacecraft surface, White TORMED® is precision-manufactured to its target thickness before application and supplied as a finished film. At only 25 microns, the concept presented at SmallSat is designed to bring together:

• Controlled and more consistent thickness across applicable surfaces, including edges and corners.
• Repeatable thermal performance with minimal added mass.
• A finished-film format that can replace days of coating, curing and drying with direct film application, significantly reducing manufacturing time, labor and processing cost.
• A non-fluoropolymer film designed for direct integration with composite structures and functional layers, including metals, and for adhesive-free co-curing with prepreg—a patent-pending integration technology that simplifies assembly and eliminates additional bonding steps.

Built on the TORMED® material platform

White TORMED® builds on I.S.T. Corporation's proprietary transparent polyimide film platform. TORMED® combines optical transparency, outgassing below the detection limit, mechanical flexibility, electrical insulation, and compatibility with deposited metals and other functional layers. TORMED® has been independently evaluated, exposed in orbit, and selected for commercial space applications.

Transparent TORMED® samples were included in the Euro Material Ageing (EMA) experiment, a European materials-exposure program developed through collaboration among CNES, CNRS and ESA and conducted on the Bartolomeo external platform aboard the International Space Station. The samples completed approximately one year of exposure and returned to Earth for post-flight evaluation. These results provide technical context for the broader material platform; post-flight evaluation is continuing.

Transparent TORMED® has also been selected as a protective cover film for silicon solar modules in commercial satellite applications, with production and supply preparations progressing. This connects scientific validation with practical spacecraft use.

Powered by TORMED®  |  One Material. A New Approach to Spacecraft Design.

What I.S.T. Corporation presented at SmallSat 2026

The presentation, "A New Approach to Spacecraft Design: Introducing White TORMED®," gave participants - and now the wider market - a concise view of the commercialization and scale-up roadmap:

• The current White TORMED® concept, its 25-micron thermal performance, manufacturing-efficiency benefits and film-platform value.
• The technical foundation provided by transparent TORMED® and its space-use progress.
• A demand-led scale-up roadmap from A4 sheets to pilot and wide-roll production.

Evaluation and scale-up roadmap

White TORMED® A4 sheets are available now for evaluation. I.S.T. Corporation is targeting the start of pilot production for a 300 mm-wide roll in November 2026. The roadmap presented at SmallSat includes a market review and investment decision in September 2027, followed by a conditional target for mass production of 1,000+ mm-wide rolls in fall 2028. These future steps remain subject to evaluation results, market demand, technical readiness and investment approval.

White TORMED® — Ready for Evaluation and Application

I.S.T. Corporation invites spacecraft manufacturers, subsystem suppliers and integrators to evaluate or purchase White TORMED® for their applications. For teams seeking application-specific solutions, I.S.T. can also support technical collaboration in thermal control, functional-film integration, RF concepts and composite-structure integration.

We make the material. You design what it becomes. Teams ready to explore the next application of TORMED® are invited to contact I.S.T. Corporation through the information below. Let's find out together.

About TORMED®

TORMED® is I.S.T. Corporation's proprietary transparent polyimide roll film. It is engineered for applications requiring optical transparency, thermal resistance, mechanical flexibility, outgassing below the detection limit, electrical insulation, and compatibility with functional coatings and deposited layers. Application concepts include solar-array cover films, flexible optical solar reflectors, antenna-integrated films, space electronics and tapes. White TORMED® is moving toward pilot roll production.

About I.S.T. Corporation

I.S.T. Corporation is a materials innovation company that develops high-performance polymers, films, fibers, composites and proprietary processing technologies for demanding industrial and advanced-technology applications. Its approach combines molecular design, material formulation, production-process development and scalable manufacturing.

TORMED information: https://ist-caretp.com/materials/tormed/
SmallSat conference: https://smallsat.org/

SOURCE I.S.T. Corporation