SBIR/STTR Award attributes
New textile and material solutions are needed to meet the challenging environments that will be encountered during extendednbsp;Lunar exploration missions. We propose a novel textile technology platform combining fibers made from inherently flame retardant and ultra-low temperature compatible materials, new fabric architectures that improve intrinsic dust penetration resistance properties, and tailored finishes/coatings to further improve physical and dust tolerant properties. Hybrid fabricnbsp;architectures willnbsp;create flexible but tough environmental protection garment (EPG) textilesnbsp;that efficiently resist dust and abrasion. Finishes including shear thickening fluidnbsp;and superhydrophobic coating will be used to maximize physical hazard protection and ease of dust removal. The challenging combination ofnbsp;EPG shell textile requirementsnbsp;necessitates such an approach that leverages all of the potential aspects of fabric design. The base fabric developed for the EPG will possess inherent flame retardant and dust-resistant properties andnbsp;is amenable to adaptation for use in crew clothing.
