(New Scientist Tech) Future spacesuits could have some remarkable new abilities. They could self-repair holes, generate electricity and kill germs, thanks to new "smart" materials. Such suits may be ready for use by 2018, when NASA hopes to return to the Moon. [...]
The spacesuit would be self-healing because its innermost layer, which provides the spacesuit's airtight seal, is filled with a thick polymer gel. The rubber-like gel is sandwiched between two thin layers of polyurethane so that if a hole forms in these layers, the gel oozes from surrounding areas to plug it. In vacuum chamber tests, the gel healed punctures up to 2 millimetres wide.
Developed by ILC Dover LP (from Delaware) for NASA, these future spacesuits may prove quite useful, especially when one considers the hazards of space junk that orbits our world. I could also see this technology utilized for future colonists on the Moon, (for obvious reasons) not to mention future minors in the asteroid belt.
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