Self-Healing, Self-Diagnosing Multifunctional Hybridsil Composites for EVA Space Suit Pressure Garment Systems

Through the proposed NASA SBIR program, NanoSonic will work with ILC Dover to design, empirically optimize, and integrate multifunctional self-healing and self-diagnosing HybridSil composites for lighter weight EVA space suit pressure garment systems with enhanced durability and reliability. To that end, NanoSonic will create multifunctional, highly flexible HybridSil polymeric armor composites composed of high strength, electrically conductive fabrics embedded within highly flexible inorganic copolymer matrices containing dispersed, VOC-free self-healing polymeric capsules. NanoSonic's multifunctional, single-ply HybridSil space suit composites will be tailored for use within existing space suit layups and afford significant weight savings by enabling the use of less layers to achieve given a performance goal such as micrometeoroid and orbital debris protection, thermal control / insulation, and radiation protection. The proposed HybridSil composites will build from NanoSonic's pioneering laceration, abrasion, and puncture resistance drysuit, wetsuit, and fire protective fabric technologies. A nimble Phase III transition of optimized multifunctional HybridSil fabrics will be afforded by NanoSonic's established roll-to-roll flexible composite manufacturing infrastructure.

The principal objective of the NASA SBIR is to provide ILC Dover with a feedstock of next-generation multifunctional HybridSil flexible composites that may be used both in tandem and in place of legacy materials to afford space suit pressure garments that have enhanced durability, reliability, and less mass for long-duration missions requiring extensive extra-vehicular activity.

Initial applications will include use within space suit pressure garments while immediate secondary applications will include a broad spectrum of military and civilian protective garment and equipment applications. Additional non-NASA post applications will include utility within a broad spectrum of secondary protective jumpsuits and higher performance interior vehicle trim materials.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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