Taikonauts have added reinforced shielding to the Tiangong space station to protect against debris and micrometeorite impacts in low Earth orbit. One distinct difference between NASA’s Whipple shield design is the use of basalt fabric. It’s tough and durable like synthetic alternatives, but it adds impressive thermal stability and can absorb a lot of energy from dispersed fragments broken up by the shield’s other layers. It also adds compressive resistance, augmenting the aramid layer’s toughness. Crucially, however, it’s also much cheaper than the Nextel material NASA often uses in its place.

CREDIT: ExtremeTech.com
PHOTO CREDIT Screenshot: YouTube VideoFromSpace “China conducts spacewalk to install debris shielding and more on Tiangon space station”

Further Reading
NASA’s “EVALUATING BASALT FABRIC IN STUFFED WHIPPLE AND MULTISHOCK SHIELDS THROUGH COMPARATIVE HYPERVELOCITY TESTS“