38.1 Space technology Did you know that fire-proof suits and scratch-resistant glass were first developed for space missions? New technologies were developed by space scientists to solve problems that astronauts would face in space. Many of these technologies are now in everyday use.
Examples of space technologies that we use on Earth include: Memory foam Firefighter equipment Fire-resistant paints and building materials Anti-icing systems for aeroplanes Infrared thermometers for monitoring health Improved prosthetic (artificial) limbs
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Science in Society Identify another example of a technology we use in everyday life that was first developed for space exploration. Find out why it was first developed. Explain to your class its importance to everyday life on Earth.
Fig. 1 New technologies such as fire-proof suits were first developed for space missions.
Case Study Rocket textile takes the heat off industry
A woven fabric that will withstand flames and protect against extreme heat seems an unlikely outcome from space technology, but these are precisely the properties needed by designers of rocket motors to defend sensitive equipment from the rocket flame. In 1990 Aérospatiale and SEP, two
design and manufacturing companies, approached a family-owned textile company called SAB based in France for help in developing flame-proof materials for use in rockets. SAB drew
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upon its 40-plus years of experience in textile knitting and coating to produce Flamebreak, a textile that stops the advance of fire and insulates against the transmission of heat. Using a special knitting technique,
Kevlar and Preox fibres are combined to create a filter capable of blocking 90 percent of radiation over a wide temperature range. By layering the material, almost all heat transfer can be eliminated. This material is called Flamebreak. In a further development
