
Fabric Insulation for Mars Temperatures
Medium
How well can layered fabric hold heat in extreme cold? Mars surface temperatures drop far below freezing. Any future spacesuit needs strong insulation from lightweight materials.
You build three fabric prototypes using different layer combinations. Materials include:
- foam and fleece
- camouflage fabric
- aluminized Mylar and nylon
Each prototype wraps around a water-filled container heated to body temperature. You test all three in warm environments and in cold ones. The coldest test uses dry ice.
Measure the water temperature before and after each one-hour test. The prototype with the smallest temperature change insulates the best. Compare results across all three conditions to find the strongest fabric combination.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that spacesuit prototype #3 will be the prototype that will conserve more heat than prototypes #1 and #2.
Method & Materials
You will make three different combinations of fabrics, glue the fabrics for each combination together, sew all edges of prototypes together, fill plastic containers with water, slide bottle in spacesuit prototypes, measure temperature of outside environment, and wait 1 hour and record temperature.
You will need four thermometers, polyester lycra fabric, camouflage fabric, fleece fabric, aluminized mylar, foam fabric, flannel backed vinyl, vinyl, rubber coated nylon, nylon cordura fabric, scissors, liquid stitch, brown thread, sewing needle, heating device, plastic containers, ice chest cooler, dry ice, water, and rubber gloves.
Eureka Crate — engineering & invention kits for ages 12+ — monthly projects that build real-world skills. (Affiliate link)
See what’s includedResults
The results of the experiment showed that prototype #3 had the least average change in temperature. This experiment was limited to analyzing the effects of the environment on temperature change of an object inside the prototype spacesuits.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it could help NASA test different types of space suit fabrics for Mars.
Also Consider
Experiment variations to consider include testing for durability and tensile strength for protection from damage due to jagged rocks and micrometeoroids, and testing different temperatures to see how the fabric combinations respond.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.Related video
These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
Share this Science Project:
Related Science Fair Project Ideas
Strike a snare drum with titanium, aluminum, hickory, and oak drumsticks to find out which material bounces back the highest.
Medium
Coat marble tiles with calcium oxalate and commercial sealant, then soak them in vinegar to see which coating resists acid best.
Medium
Hang weights from five types of tape stuck to a steel plate and find out which one holds on the longest.
Medium
Share this Science Project:
