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Fashionable space wear
April 1st, 2020
The new space wear collection, designed for the private spaceline Virgin Galactic, combines form and function to enhance the customer experience. Sir Richard Branson will wear one of the spacesuits aboard the inaugural commercial spaceflight, expected in 2020. Photos: Virgin Galactic. When Virgin Galactic launches an anticipated test spaceflight this year, the mission specialists on […]
Sun-powered, citizen-funded LightSail 2 in orbit
December 1st, 2019
The first citizen-funded spacecraft to successfully demonstrate a new form of propulsion, the LightSail 2 could be a game-changer that opens up space exploration. Approximately 50,000 people from more than 100 countries, as well as foundations and corporate partners, donated to the $7 million mission from 2009 through March 2019. Photos: Josh Spradling, The Planetary […]
Set a course: the aerospace market
July 1st, 2019
As NASA sets a course for Mars and a return to the moon, and private companies engage in a new space race, textile companies navigate the aerospace market with high-performance fabrics and products designed for the next frontier. by Amy Goetzman When does a single lemon cost $2,000? When it’s in space. NASA reports that […]
Textile origami for space habitats
March 1st, 2019
So, you move to Mars—now where are you going to live? As a matter of fact, there is innovative work being done on that subject. A design team is working on the MoonMars project—architecture plans for smart human habitats and research stations on other planets. They are experimenting with origami and high-performance textiles to create […]
Performance clothing for astronauts
September 1st, 2018
Performance clothing made of fabrics with cooling technology is readily available today. But how would similar fabrics function in space? That’s what a team of researchers wants to know, and they are working to get answers on the International Space Station (ISS). There, German ESA astronaut Dr. Alexander Gerst conducted physiology experiments investigating the interaction […]
Carbon fiber Humanity Star takes to the skies
April 1st, 2018
Scientist and engineer Peter Beck is on a mission to make commercial space travel a reality. He founded Rocket Lab in 2006 to provide frequent launch opportunities to low earth orbit. Beck also wanted to create a way to connect people to the night sky, to bring people together. He hopes to demonstrate that we […]
Woven metal fabric for space travel
July 1st, 2017
Maybe it’s the Game of Thrones effect, because these days, metal fabrics are super hip. And just like the practical purpose they served in medieval times, a new woven metal fabric being developed by NASA can be put to use in a number of ways. Raul Polit Casillas, a systems engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion […]
What to wear to Mars
September 1st, 2015
Requirements for space garments share similarities with those worn on Earth. For human space missions beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO), the logistical burden is at least twice as great as that of missions in low-Earth orbit. Take, for instance, a trip to Mars, which is being planned by NASA to occur sometime in the 2030s. For […]