Low weight, ease of installation and overall mechanical and thermal performance of aerogels as a spacer material will serve as a durable and more reliable replacement for NASA's traditionally used multi-layer insulation (MLI). Durability improvements will reduce maintenance costs and extend the period of cryogen storage and the life expectancy of the insulation system. In addition to spacecraft and other cryogen storage, applications including EVA suits, gloves, and footwear could also benefit from the thin and low density aerogel technology. The proposed insulation material will also find use in terrestrial applications, such as improved and durable insulation material for cryogenic fluid storage and transfer pipelines in preparation for launch. Successful development of a multi-layer aerogel insulation system will be immediately useful for a wide variety of cryogenic applications such as cryogenic storage tanks and transfer lines for LNG, LN2, etc. Thin aerogel would also be highly applicable to the very large apparel insulation market. Additionally, reducing aerogel cost through this process will allow much broader penetration into existing insulation markets, including building and construction.
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