Sergio Furnari, scientist of thermal tile surfacing, has over 40 years of experience in the surfacing of virtually every imaginable type of thermal tiles. Furnari studied all his techniques in Italy and in the United States. His education and experience, have the technical solution to more effectively install the thermal tiles on the SpaceX rockets.

Sergio Furnari is originally from Sicily, Caltagirone, a town famous for the production of ceramics and kilns for over 2500 years. His last name, “Furnari,” means oven, which affirms the centuries old tradition of manipulating fire and solar heat and is indeed a part of his DNA. He has the technique to completely avoid using joints to connect thermal tiles. Instead, he would create a ceramic mesh interlocked around the stainless steel base.