Delaware Space Grant Consortium | Building Better Space Suit
Interdisciplinary collaboration leads to innovative new fabric
When future astronauts head to the Moon, they may very well be wearing space suits created, in part, through a collaboration between two University of Delaware academic departments, a new UD alumnae and a company founded by UD alumni.
This interdisciplinary project included Norm Wagner, the Unidel Robert L. Pigford Chair, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Huantian Cao, chair of the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies; Richard Dombrowski, former associate research scientist in UD’s Department of Chemical Engineering and co-founder of STF Technologies, and Michelle Yatvitskiy, who graduated this year with a master’s degree in fashion and apparel studies and a graduate certificate in sustainable apparel business.
The outcome of their collaboration is a new fabric for the outer layer of space suits, called the environmental protection garment (EPG) shell, that will prevent lunar dust particles from penetrating the material.
“Our fashion apparel studies program covers everything related to clothing, and space suits are a form of clothing,” said Cao. “Quite a few of our alumni work with ILC Dover, a major space suit manufacturer.”
Author Credit: Brenda Lange
Image Credit: Evan Krape
Original Post Date: Oct. 1, 2024