October 8,
1996: Results are now beginning to become available from the April
3, 1996 rocket flight to produce the first space-made Aerogel. As described
in the June 19, 1996 Aerogel Headline ,
Aerogel is the lightest solid known to mankind, with only three times the
density of air. Aerogel, because of its appearence is sometimes referred
to as "frozen smoke". Aerogel produced on the ground typically
displays a blue haze or has a slight cloudiness to its appearence. This
feature is believed to be caused by impurities and variations in the size
of small pores in the Aerogel material. Scientists are trying to eliminate
this haze so that the insulator might be used in window panes and other
applications where transparency is important.
The Aerogel made aboard the flight of the Starfire Rocket in April has indicated
that gravity effects in samples of the material made on the ground may be
responsible for the adverse pore sizes and thus account for the lack of
transparency. Both the diameter and volume of the pores in the space-made
Aerogel appear to be between 4 and 5 times better than otherwise identically
formulated ground samples. Because Aerogels are the only known transparent
insulator, with typical heat conduction properties that are five times better
than the next best alternative, a number of novel applications are foreseen
in high performance Aerogels.
Aerogel tutorial
Contact Dr. David Noever
Code ES71
NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center
Huntsville AL 35812
for more information about aerogels.
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Curator: Linda Porter
NASA Official: Gregory S.
Wilson