This paper investigates the mechanical properties at the interface of the coating-substrate system, which comprises the electroless nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) coating and the aluminum matrix composite substrate reinforced by the silicon carbide particles (SiCp/Al), and is used for the space mirror. To estimate the adhesion of Ni-P coating on SiCp/Al substrate, the scratch adhesion testing has been performed by drawing a spherically tipped diamond indenter with a radius of 200 mm over the coated surface. The influence of the coating thickness on the interfacial stress induced by the inertial accelerations, temperature gradients and thermal soaks has been evaluated by simulation analysis based on the finite element method. The results of the scratch testing indicate that the adhesion strength of Ni-P coating to SiCp/Al composite is more than 3.0 GPa. Compared the maximum value of the interfacial stress obtained by simulation analysis with results of the scratch testing, it is can be seen that the mirror has enough safety margin. Furthermore, the most significant conclusion that can be drawn from this work is that the coating thickness should not exceed 45 mm in order to ensure the performance and reliability of Ni-P coating and SiCp/Al substrate system for space applications. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.