 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
DuPont And NASA To Develop Kevlar Reinforced Insulation For Next Gen Space Vehicles
Wilmington DE (SPX) Jul 13, 2007 DuPont has announced that it has signed a Space Act Agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to jointly develop urethane foam insulation reinforced with DuPont Kevlar fiber for use in a variety of future spacecraft, including the new launch vehicle being designed to replace the space shuttle. DuPont and scientists at the NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama will specifically seek to develop a process to incorporate Kevlar fiber into the cell walls of the foam, thereby enhancing the performance of the thermal protection systems used in the Ares 1 crew launch vehicle. There may be other uses for the material in future science and exploration applications ranging from vehicle TPS to inflatable structures. "DuPont materials have enabled manned and unmanned missions into space for almost half a century, and we continue to work closely with NASA in helping solve their most pressing challenges," said Thomas G. Powell, vice president and general manager - DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems. "We look forward to the opportunity to work with NASA scientists in helping develop their next- generation thermal protection systems." Kevlar is perhaps best known for its use in bullet- and stab-resistant body armor, but it also has strong ties to the U.S. Space Program. The high performance fiber that is five times stronger than steel on an equal weight basis is used today, along with DuPont Nomex fiber, in space suits worn by astronauts. Additionally, a parachute made of Kevlar fiber was included on the Galileo probe to Jupiter, and at the International Space Station, a blanket made of Kevlar fiber was used to wrap its inner walls and provided protection from micrometeorites. Many other DuPont inventions have contributed to space exploration. On Apollo missions to the moon, 20 of the 21 layers in each space suit were made with DuPont materials, including DuPont Mylar polyester film, neoprene and DuPont Kapton film. Today the Mars Exploration Rovers - Spirit and Opportunity - contain almost 70 yards each of flexible circuits made of thin DuPont Pyralux laminates and composites which connect the "brains" of the rovers to their robotic arms, cameras, high gain antennae, wheels and sensors. The rovers also feature Kapton film for hundreds of strip heaters which are used for thermal control, ensuring the critical warmth needed to maintain operations in the extremely cold Martian atmosphere. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links DuPont Space Technology News - Applications and Research
NASA Harnesses Power Of Virtual Worlds For Exploration And Outreach
Washington (USINFO) Jul 10, 2007NASA has created two islands in the popular real-time virtual world called Second Life, where anyone interested in space travel or technology can explore, discover and contribute to the space agency's mission. One island, called CoLab, for the Collaborative Space Exploration Laboratory, was established in 2006 by the NASA Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley as a virtual learning community with interactive content. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
