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In a rare
show of global cooperation, modules, components, and technologies
are being contributed by many nations. 3M is there too, most notably
with two, very space-age products
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In the most famous
science fiction movie of 1968, a large space station pirouettes above
the Earth to the strains of "The Blue Danube." Appropriately enough, in
this first year of the new millennium, we keep the science but leave behind
the fiction as work continues on the real International Space Station
(ISS). In a rare show of global cooperation, modules, components, and
technologies are being contributed by many nations. 3M is there too, most
notably with two, very space-age products, one with a long history, the
other a relatively new technology.
Space debris, like rocks, meteorites, even "space junk" from other space
exploration efforts, creates a tremendous challenge for those who build
space modules. Debris shielding is important not only to preserve the
space station — but also to protect the lives of the people on board.
Scientists predict that during a 10-year period, a small (10 square meter)
area of the spacecraft is likely to be struck by anywhere from 100 to
1,000 particles of up to 1 mm in diameter. It also has a good chance of
being struck by a meteorite over 1 cm in diameter. Debris shielding for
the space station is provided by layers of 3M™ Nextel™ Ceramic Textiles
interspersed with other materials.
NASA is using Nextel Ceramic Textiles to protect the U.S. Lab Module of
the ISS — Destiny — and also to shield the scientists who will live in
the TransHab module during lengthy space missions.
Nextel Products Help the Human Race to Live in Space.
The TransHab inflatable module will house up to six astronauts and will
include bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining area, a gym and a pantry. TransHab's
walls will be over a foot thick — with the outer shield composed of successive
layers of Nextel Ceramic Fabric, spaced between thick layers of open cell
foam. These layers will shatter any particles that hit the inflatable
spacecraft, and also provide insulation from the extreme temperatures
of space.
The laboratory module will also have seven windows on the universe. Each
window will have a protective inner liner of tough film, applied using
3M™ Optically Clear adhesive. This "scratch pane" protects the glass and
the crew, providing a window that is perfect for observation, photography
or just star-gazing by the space station pioneers.
Whether gazing into the past, into the future, or into space, 3M's innovative
technologies will be there.
Learn more about 3M Ceramics,
3M Bonding Solutions
and the International
Space Station. (Photo courtesy of NASA.)
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