Insulation For Earth And Space

While the Curiosity rover wheels around Mars examining the chemical composition of the soil there, materials scientists here on Earth are already preparing for more advanced missions to the Red Planet. According to National Aeronautics & Space Administration scientist Mary Ann B. Meador, before sending people or larger vehicles to Mars, scientists must develop insulating materials to counter the planet’s exotic environment. Unlike the moon, Mars has a low-pressure atmosphere, said Meador when speaking last month at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Philadelphia. For this reason, space suits worn by astro­nauts for the past 40 years, with their simple, heat-reflecting metallized layers of insulation, just won’t cut it on the Red Planet: The layers would collapse on each other and permit heat transfer. To insulate the space suits, NASA is eyeing aerogels, high-surface-area porous solids prized for their light weight and low heat conduction. The materials could also ...