The entire process takes place in near-freezing conditions and such plants are usually built with large amounts of flammable foam insulation to maintain a constant temperature.

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Technologies being tested in the program include advanced guidance, navigation and control, thermal protection systems, avionics, high temperature structures and seals, conformal reusable insulation, lightweight electromechanical flight systems, and autonomous orbital flight, reentry and landing.

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And because the gate and the insulation layer are formed right at the end of the chip-making process, after the high-temperature steps have been completed, it is possible to choose from a wider range of materials for the insulation layer.

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For that, you'd need either piles of insulation (too bulky) or some way to control the temperature inside the case.

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