Spacesuit Cover against the Abrasive Lunar Environment (SCALE) & eXploration Textile for high Oxygen eNvironments (xTON)

NASA has entered a new era of human space exploration with the Artemis Program, hoping to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon. To meet NASA needs, new textiles will have to be developed that keep astronauts safe, while still enabling those astronauts to perform at their best. In the solicitation, NASA has identified two specific areas for textile innovation: (Part A) the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) Environmental Protection Garment (EPG) and (Part B) crew clothing fabrics for shirt-sleeve environments in oxygen-rich atmospheres. To address these challenges in Part A of NASAs call, Paragon Space Development Corporation (Paragon) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) are developing a new EPG outer layer material for the xEMU known as the Spacesuit Cover against the Abrasive Lunar Environment (SCALE). SCALE uses a bio-inspired design, with segmented corundum chips to give the outer layer of the EPG enough strength to withstand the abrasiveness of lunar dust without significantly reducing its flexibility. The second area of textile innovation identified by NASA (Part B) is crew clothing fabrics for shirt-sleeve environments in oxygen-rich atmospheres. Those oxygen-rich atmospheres also carry an increased risk of fire, which necessitates the use of flame-retardant materials whenever practicable, including in the clothing worn by the crew. To that end, this proposal also introduces a new clothing material, known as the eXploration Textile for high-Oxygen eNvironments (xTON) that will be comfortable and flame retardant. •New EPG and crew clothing will have to be developed for NASA in a new era of human space exploration, with the Artemis Program, hoping to establish a long-term presence on the Moon. •Paragon and NCSU propose a new EPG for the xEMU, known as the Spacesuit Cover against the Abrasive Lunar Environment (SCALE), and a new clothing material, known as the eXploration Textile for high-Oxygen eNvironments (xTON). •SCALE uses a bio-inspired design, mimicking the hexagonal bony segments in carapaces of armadillo and boxfish in nature, to give the outer layer of the EPG enough strength to withstand the abrasiveness of lunar dust without reducing its flexibility and drape. •xTON clothing (T-shirt and beanie hat) will be knit with staple yarns blending PBI, P84, and Kevlar staple fibers. The spun-yarn structure and composition will be carefully engineered to ensure inflammability, dimensional stability, and comfort. •Objectives: 1) Refine and validate SCALE configuration to achieve the desired weight, strength, abrasion resistance, drape, and permeability 2) Refine yarn configuration of xTON via staple yarn blending and spinning, and validate the corresponding xTON fabric swatches with weight, pilling, wash durability, and flammability tests. •Deliverables: monthly technical presentation together with physical prototypes for infusion into NASA programs at the conclusion of Phase II. For SCALE this will include a pair of knee pads that can be configured for a variety of suits, and for xTON this will include at least a T-shirt and a beanie hat constructed from the down-selected yarn configuration.
Benefits: SCALE will be incorporated into the spacesuit EPG to provide greater abrasion resistance for lunar exploration EVAs. Additionally, lunar space operations will require flexible, abrasion-resistant fabrics for thermal covers on a variety of equipment like camera covers, stowage bags, and collection sample containers. xTON will be used to provide crew clothing that is flame retardant in 36% oxygen at 8.2 psia, resistant to wear from abrasive lunar regolith, free of volatile materials, releases a minimal amount of lint, and odor-free. SCALE could be used for high-wear activities like sportswear, personal protective equipment, protective casing for sensitive devices, mining, and construction applications. xTON could be used to make comfortable, flame retardant clothing/covers for firefighting PPE for firefighters, industrial workers, and military personnel that are likely to encounter fires or extremely hot environments.