Size: 21 x 29.2 cm (presentation). 2.9 x 3.2 cm. (fragment).
Description: Attached to this presentation is a segment of beta cloth dating from the 1960's as used in NASA's Apollo space program.
Beta cloth, a woven fiberglass fabric, was developed following the Apollo 1 fire. It could protect against temperatures up to 650°C, and was incorporated into the Apollo/Skylab A7L space suits giving astronauts a better chance to escape a launch pad fire. The beta cloth was coated with Teflon to increase durability and prohibit abrasion during use.
The Apollo space suit, produced by ILC, was comprised of three major parts, an inner layer for comfort, a middle pressure garment layer and an ouer layer known as the thermal micrometeroid garment (TMG). The TMG contained multiple layers of aluminized mylar and fabrics to reflect radiation and reduce thermal conductivity. This was encapsulated by the outer most layer which was covered in beta cloth fabric.
