Abstract
While spacecrafts experience temperatures from -120 to 110 °C on the orbit, their surface reaches extremely high temperatures, well above 1000 °C, during descent into the atmosphere due to aerodynamic heating. Sophisticated insulation systems are designed for thermal protection. One of the steps in designing a protection system is experimental temperature measurements. 
Neutron flux induces point defects formation and accumulation in diamond and SiC single crystals, which causes overall lattice expansion. In the case of cubic SiC single crystal radiation flux on the order of 2⋅1020 neutrons/cm2 at 0.18 MeV causes over 3% volume lattice expansion. During thermal annealing this process is reversed, so the annealing temperature and time result in the “reduced” lattice parameter (measured by X-Ray diffraction), which allows determining the maximum temperature, if the exposure time is known. The operational principles, along with the use of irradiated single crystal high temperature sensors for measuring temperatures in applications are discussed. These applications include measuring the temperatures in thermal protection systems during spacecraft descent, furnace temperature during single crystal growth in space at zero gravity, and measuring the rocket combustion chamber turbo pump temperature.

Alex Volinsky’s Bio 
 Alex A. Volinsky is an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida, Mechanical Engineering Department. He obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Minnesota, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science in 2000. Thesis title: “The Role of Geometry and Plasticity in Thin, Ductile Film Adhesion”. Dr. Volinsky held an Engineering Materials Senior Staff Member potion at Motorola’s Process and Materials Characterization Lab prior to joining USF. There, he conducted principal research employing XRD, SEM, FIB, FA analytical techniques for advanced technologies development, including porous low-K dielectrics and interconnect structures. Professor Volinsky’s current research interests are: Thin films processing, mechanical properties and characterization; adhesion and fracture of thin films; microelectronics and MEMS reliability, environmental degradation of materials. He is in charge of the Nanomechanical Testing and X-Ray lab at USF. Dr. Volinsky authored over 200 scientific papers, one of which was determined to be the most cited paper in the field of Materials Science by ISI® Essential Science Indicators: A..A. Volinsky, N.R. Moody, W.W. Gerberich, Acta Mater. Vol. 50/3, pp. 441-466, 2002. He organized several conferences and symposia. Professor Volisnky’s research was recognized by national and international awards.