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NASA hopes to make transparent solid in space
May 14, 1997
Web posted at: 12:48 a.m. EDT (0448 GMT)From Correspondent David George
(CNN) -- NASA thinks it has the potential to change the way your house is built. How? With an almost weightless solid that is an amazing insulator.
The substance is called Aerogel, and nicknamed "frozen smoke."
(512K/13 sec. QuickTime movie)
"It's only three times denser than air -- three times heavier than air -- so we're almost close to a free-floating solid," said NASA research scientist David Noever. "A block the size of a human of Aerogel would weigh one pound."
It's strong, too -- that human-sized block would be able to support half a ton, the weight of a small car. And due to its intricate, foamy composition of silicon and air, Aerogel is a highly-rated insulator.
Developed more than 60 years ago, Aerogel has a smoky appearance because some of the bubbles are different sizes.
But experiments on suborbital rockets show weightlessness can make it easier to form a more uniform product. With all the air bubbles the same size, the gel becomes transparent.
"From a single pane of Aerogel you might have the equivalent insulation of 20 to 30 glass window panes," Noever said. "So you're looking at, in theory at least, heating the house with a candle."
Researchers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center are preparing a special experiment to be flown on the shuttle Discovery. They want to see if astronauts can make a clear form of the substance.
"I believe Aerogel will be a material that will be used in the 21st century almost as much as plastic is being used today," said NASA research scientist Laurent Sibille.
"Can you imagine your world without plastic?"
The experiment is set for December, but scientists say it could be some time before the arrival of this airy substance in homes.
Related site:
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- Lawrence livermore National Library - Aerogel Microspheres
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