vollebak makes martian aerogel jackets from space parachutes NASA used in rover mission

silica aerogel inside vollebak’s jackets

Vollebak produces Martian Aerogel Jackets using the hypersonic space parachutes that NASA used to land the Rover mission on Mars, the one that took place on February 18th, 2021. The jackets are fabricated using two materials that NASA employed during its missions. The parachute one is for the exterior design, while the inside of the jackets, Vollebak adopts laser-drilled aerogel built by the same team that makes the space agency’s heat shield to protect the Mars Rover from the planet’s 2000-degree Celsius temperature.

Vollebak, who has also created solar-charged jackets and hats, describes its silica aerogel material as flexible and waterproof because it can be soaked or compressed in water and still insulate up to -20 degrees Celsius. The trick, they say, is by combining it with organic foam to produce a two-millimeter-thick and water-resistant sheet, subjected to laser drilling to fabricate micropores for breathability. This technique makes up the inside of Vollebak’s Martian Aerogel Jackets, fending off extreme cold so the wearer can still stroll around blizzardy conditions all warmed.

all photos by Sun Lee, courtesy of Vollebak

NASA’s nylon-spun parachutes for martian clothing

It’s not enough for Vollebak to use the laser-drilled aerogel built by the team working with NASA. The brand wants to tie their Martian Aerogel Jackets to the space agency’s Mars mission by using the material that their space parachutes have. It’s not about an homage, but practicality because there’s already an amount of time and money spent into the research and development of this fabric, so they’re durability and materiality may already be proven.

The parachute is made of heat-proof nylon spun at high speed before being washed, colored, processed, and finished. They’re lightweight and can weather extreme heat, and they’re baked at 135 degrees Celsius to kill the microorganisms that might contanimate them. This specific fabric is what NASA used to land the first probe on Titan and the recent Rover on Mars. For the excess parachutes that didn’t make it out of Earth, they found their homes in Vollebak’s hands, who put them into use as the outer shell of their Martian Aerogel Jackets. So far, Vollebak’s Martian Aerogel Jackets are available in Rover Orange, Stealth Black, and Mercury colors.

Vollebak produces Martian Aerogel Jackets using the hypersonic space parachutes that NASA utliized