Space-proven garments inspiring innovative textiles 

Sweat is an unwanted exercise companion. Space-proven garments are inspiring innovative textiles for the gym and for those working in extreme conditions on Earth. The lack of convection in space affects the way body heat and sweat are transported and absorbed into an astronaut’s clothing. Astronauts often report sweating more during exercise in orbit compared to Earth. Heat envelopes their bodies like an aura. ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst wore high-performance fibers on the Space Station and assessed how comfortable the clothes were in comparison to conventional cotton garments. His positive feedback coupled with the data from the experiment are helping optimise astronaut clothing for future long-term missions such as a journey to Mars planned for 2030. Textiles would have to be specially adapted for use in space – new fabrics with better thermal and sweat management need to maintain the astronauts’ cooling mechanism and reduce microbiological contamination on the spacecraft.