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Spinoff story
Aerogel Insulation Makes Thinner, Warmer Outerwear
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
After a bundled-up trip up a Swiss mountain, Oros co-founder Michael Markesbery wanted to make thinner, more lightweight outerwear. He came across aerogel insulation—first made practical when Aspen Technologies, under SBIR contracts from Kennedy Space Center, infused the brittle material into flexible, durable composite blankets—when he won a scholarship from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. Markesbery took the $10,000 award and additional seed money and started making jackets with Aspen Aerogel insulation. The Cincinnati-based company continues to improve aerogel technology in its ever-expanding product line.