Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1045322
"This is no longer solely about rockets and propulsion etc. What we're talking about is space lifestyle." Dr. Jan Beringer, Scientific Expert, Life Science & Care, Hohenstein Institute human factor. Aspelund explains: Comfort, personal identity, aesthetics, these all play a role. Psychology is as much a factor as textile performance. "Ask yourself on a six month trip, what's important — the function versus the comfort and personal preference?" New Technologies for Product Development Those factors lay a foundation for what's next; the actual design and creation of garments space travelers will wear. Clare King's deep knowledge of material development and her company's project work involving the Navy and Safety industry has NASA's ear. "Its just discussions, based on our experience developing textile electrode circuitry that is part of the fabric structure," comments King, president of Pawtucket, RI-based Propel, LLC. She is keen on how to make electronic-enabled yarn wirelessly robust, innovation around functionality that disappears into the garment and protective clothing for harsh environments. King identifies stitchless, seamless technologies as important going forward. The "Steam Suit" serves as a good example of performance attributes with relevance to space applications. The new Damage Control (Steam) Suit for submarine use features Propel's stitchless seam engineering and advanced textile technologies resulting in better protection for the user from steam and associated high heat during damage control operations. The project was funded by the Office of Naval Research, US Navy, and designed and prototyped by Propel. Highly significant is the wearability of the new Steam Suit. "We look at the human side," says King. Indeed, Propel's Stitchless Seam Technology is described as a "human-centered design process" resulting in clothing and personal protective equipment that are less bulky and lighter in weight, with improved user comfort and better packing and shipping efficiencies. With an eye on what's next — both in terms of in her own sphere of textile expertise as well as space travel wear, King states, "The mash up of textile and technology, that's the future." l Exercising on the Cycle Ergometer during a Spacetex Experiment. textileinsight.com November/December 2018 ~ Textile Insight • 21