Reflecting on Space Benefits: A Shining Example

About this technology

Overview

NASA has long been known for having developed a thin, shiny insulating material, a strong, plastic, vacuum-metallized film with a highly-efficient, infrared-reflective, vapor-deposited coating of aluminum, created to be very lightweight in order to minimize weight impact on vehicle payload while also protecting spacecraft, equipment, and personnel from the extreme temperature fluctuations of space. It has been employed on virtually all manned and unmanned NASA missions. AFM, Inc., supplies marathons around the world with individualized sheets of the material for preventing hypothermia at finish lines. The company has teamed with several manufacturers of outdoor and adventure equipment to produce lightweight insulating survival gear and was also able to team up with charity groups to provide insulating blankets to victims of the earthquakes in Pakistan.