POSTED: 07-28-2008 05:56 PM ET  |  MODIFIED: 07-28-2008 10:50 PM ET
Allentown Company Helps NASA with Mars Rover Project

	The next time NASA sets its sights on landing on Mars, a Northampton County company could help make it happen. As WFMZ's Eve Tannery shows us, a little spray could go a long way--in fact, all the way to the Red Planet!

TANNERY: They've been putting their thermal spray coatings on everything from cars to industrial pumps since their start in 2005... Now.. Longevity Coatings.. in Northampton County.. has a new customer.. NASA.
MARK: When NASA says you're good, you're good.

TANNERY: Owner Mark Purington has been in the business for about 30 years. His East Allen Township company is now working with New Jersey-based Gemco Valve to coat these spherical disk valves with a special thermal spray coating.
MARK: Basically a tungsten carbide and cobalt..it has some other elements we had to add in to get the properties they required.

TANNERY: Right now, the coating is being tested with man made lunar soil made from volcanic ash in Hawaii. The goal is to one day use it in the oxygen extraction process in space.
MARK: Where they literally take the oxygen out of the oxide found in lunar soil...if all goes well, they use that in the next goal of getting to Mars.

TANNERY: The process takes a few days...it happens here when the velocity from a jet-engine like flame actually produces the coating.
MARK: The particles move at 8000 feet per second and flatten..the kinetic energy at that point is like a bullet hitting a wall and instantly moves the particles together.

TANNERY: So what happens if the valves don't have this special coating? >>
MARK: The valve wouldn't work at all.. the materials would all go together.

TANNERY: If all the tests go well.. NASA officials say they hope to return to the moon by 2020.. before the next mission to Mars. And Longevity Coatings hopes to be along for the ride.

TANNERY: In East Allen Township, Northampton County, Eve Tannery, 69 News.