This paper considers that friction drag reductions, in aerospace vehicles, could result from the use of external surfaces thin films coverings with atomic level smoothness. The dynamics of the gas-solid surface interactions, the adsorption phenomena and the effects of the surface atomic structure on adsorption forces are discussed in order to identify the most adequate materials for such an application. It is concluded that some heavy transition metal halides and dichalcogenides, with “Van der Waals” layered crystalline structures, represent an adequate starting point for further research.
