Spacesuit materials

RobertDyck · 2025-10-16 14:57:08

One experiment on Perseverance rover was materials exposure for spacesuit fabric. Tiny fabric swatches held up surprisingly well. I notice the weave of Teflon is tighter than Orthofabric, so better had keeping out dust. Swatches didn't get dirty like Apollo spacesuits on the Moon. Of course difference is the Moon has igneous rock pulverized by billions of years of meteorite and micrometeorite impacts. Microscope views of Lunar dust shows sharp edges of every dust particle, like napped stone knives. Mars has an atmosphere, the particles are more rounded, like dust on Earth.
YouTube: Surprising condition of spacesuit materials after 4+ years on Mars

Image from video:

Orthofabric is the white fabric used by the EMU spacesuit used for spacewalks on the Space Shuttle and ISS. Orthofabric is a double layer fabric with PTFE facing. Backing is Nomex with 2 threads in each direction every 3/8" replaced by Kevlar. Nomex is the fabric used by firefighter jacket and pants. PTFE is PolyTetraFluoroEthylene, the same polymer as Teflon. But the name "Teflon" is a trademark of the Dupont company, while Orthofabric was made by Gore Textile company, known for the brand name GoreTex. The company that makes Orthofabric was separated to a separate company. That company makes Tenara architectural fabric, which is a single layer twill weave of the same PTFE with no backing. "Twill" is the weave used by jeans. The yarn for Tenara is the same material, same thread diameter and weight, made by the same company, in the same factory, and on the same machines. I argue Tenara is more appropriate for the surface of Mars.

tahanson43206 · 2025-10-16 17:33:43

This post is reserved for an index to posts that may be contributed by NewMars members.

This topic ** should ** have a long life because the evolution of space suits is ** just ** getting started, with a robust foundation of Russian, US and Chinese designs, followed by SpaceX more recently and no doubt others.

Posts about the history of space suit materials (building upon RobertDyck's opening) would be welcome.

Index:
Post #3: https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 59#p234959
kbd512 on CNT and BNNT materials

(th)

kbd512 · 2025-10-18 23:12:05

CNT and BNNT materials are both notable for their exceptional abrasion / cut resistance. I'd like to see how well swatches of these fabrics hold up to abrasion from crushed obsidian. Since they're both reasonably fire-resistant (up to 900C in air for BNNT or 400C for CNT) / UV resistant / MMOD resistant, and are now woven into fabric sheets by several US manufacturers, I think the cost of using them as protective layers for space suits can be justified. NASA has already done some initial experimentation with BNNT as a space suit material.

SpaceNut · 2025-10-19 09:21:45

The spacesuits will need many layers of materials, some strechy and for comfort while wearing the spacesuit.

edit to update:
Spacewalk Spacesuit Basics

https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads … 23-228.pdf

What Are Space Suits Made Of?

SpaceNut · 2025-10-19 15:09:37

What layers do you think should be present in a space suit that can provide:
1) air retention
2) radiation protection
3) temperature protection
5) pressure mainenance against vacuum
6) light weight
7) flexibility for movement (eg, fingers, legs, feet, arms, head)
The forum archive contains a number of links, some quoted text, and plenty of opinion...
This new topic of RobertDyck's has the potential to become a repository of useful knowledge that a person wanting to create a space suit might consult.

Here is an index of the topics which contain some of this.

Spacesuit Compatibility Requirement

Spacesuits - Its about time we came back to them

Spacesuits - personal spaceship

Bio-Suit Systems - (MIT)

MIT Mars Bio Suit

Powered Spacesuits

KO2 oxygen for spacesuits

New idea for Mechanical CounterPressure suit

Suited for Mars: Advanced Spacesuits Symposium

Pressurized Air in Suits

Suited for Mars: - An Advanced Spacesuits Symposium.

SpaceNut · 2025-10-19 16:37:05

AI Overview
Space Suit:
Requirements, Raw Materials & Components ...
A spacesuit has multiple layers that provide protection, including an inner Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment for temperature control, a pressure bladder and restraint layer for maintaining shape and holding oxygen, and an outer Thermal Micrometeoroid Garment (TMG) with multiple insulation layers and an outer shell to protect against radiation and micrometeoroids. Other materials like Nomex, Kevlar, and Teflon are used for heat resistance, durability, and abrasion protection.
Inner layers
Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG):
This is the innermost layer, worn closest to the skin. It's made of nylon spandex and contains tubes that circulate water to keep the astronaut cool.
Pressure Bladder:
A urethane-coated fabric layer that holds in oxygen and creates the necessary pressure inside the suit.
Restraint Layer: This layer holds the bladder layer in shape and prevents it from ballooning outward under pressure. It is often made of a tear-resistant material like ripstop nylon.
Outer layers (Thermal Micrometeoroid Garment - TMG)
Insulation layers:
Several layers of aluminized Mylar or Kapton are used, separated by a scrim material, to create a thermal barrier that works like a thermos to insulate the astronaut from extreme temperatures.
Outer shell:
The outermost layer is designed for durability and protection. It is often made of a tough, ripstop fabric that can include materials like Ortho-Fabric, which contains Nomex, Teflon, and Kevlar to provide protection against tears, abrasions, and micrometeoroids. The outer layer is also white to reflect sunlight and hea

Calliban · 2025-10-19 18:18:36

Much depends I think on how we construct space suits. If we go with an MCP design, then you have an elastomer fabric covering skin. Other, tougher garments can be worn over this. As Robert noted, Mars dust grains are more rounded than lunar equivelent. So I don't see that we need anything special compared to Earth based clothing. On the moon, the situation is quite different. That dust will destroy most fabrics quickly. CNT or BNNT would appear to be necessary there. Sharper dust will also be more toxic to the lungs if tracked back into the hab.

I have a GoreTex coat that is about 10 years old now and has seen heavy use. It is still in good condition and is still reasonably waterproof. That is a necessity in the northern parts of Britain. The surface is easy to wipe down as it is relatively impermeable. So it shoukdn't be difficult to keep clean on Mars. The moon is a different case entirely. It was noted that the original Apollo space suits were destroyed by a few days expusure to lunar dust. I hate to think what it is going to do to astronaut lungs long term. Will it be as bad as asbestos?

Last edited by Calliban (2025-10-19 18:22:01)

tahanson43206 · 2025-10-19 19:15:56

This evening's Google Meeting included discussion of the Spacesuit materials topic.

It branched to the use of Gallium as a catalyst to separate Carbon and Oxygen in CO2 ....

The process is (apparently) not yet ready for use in a space suit (or in a SCUBA dive kit for that matter) but it appears to have applications in industrial situations.

The first reports of the use of Gallium for this purpose appear to date from 2021.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2025-10-21 16:33:59

This is a light touch article on space suits by a fashion writer....

https://www.yahoo.com/creators/lifestyl … 29487.html

There might be some content that NewMars members might agree with.

(th)

New Mars Forums

Announcement

#1 2025-10-16 14:57:08

Spacesuit materials

#2 2025-10-16 17:33:43

Re: Spacesuit materials

#3 2025-10-18 23:12:05

Re: Spacesuit materials

#4 2025-10-19 09:21:45

Re: Spacesuit materials

#5 2025-10-19 15:09:37

Re: Spacesuit materials

#6 2025-10-19 16:37:05

Re: Spacesuit materials

#7 2025-10-19 18:18:36

Re: Spacesuit materials

#8 2025-10-19 19:15:56

Re: Spacesuit materials

#9 2025-10-21 16:33:59

Re: Spacesuit materials

Board footer