Testing for Aerospace Textiles

We improve functional textiles for aerospace.

The insights gained from research in zero gravity can also be applied to humans on Earth.

Research Examples:

SmarTex (Health Monitoring)
SpaceTex (Comfort)

SmarTex (Health Monitoring)

SmarTex (2021): Smart Textiles - Health Monitoring

Diagram of sensors on the smart t-shirt — This health monitoring t-shirt will be tested by astronaut Dr. Matthias Maurer on the ISS CosmicKiss Mission and ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. ©DLR

We are part of the team conducting Ballistocardiography for Extraterrestrial Applications and long-Term missions (BEAT) experiments on a smart t-shirt.

The SmarTex t-shirt has integrated sensors that will monitor and transmit vital signs. It was designed to be comfortable in a zero g environment and wirelessly transmit cardiovascular health data for assessment.
NASA Video

Applications on Earth include health monitoring for telemedicine and fitness.

SpaceTex (Comfort)

SpaceTex (2014) and SpaceTex-2 (2018)

Sweating in Space (comfort)

Alexander Gerst wearing SpaceTex t-shirt while exercising on the ISS — Alexander Gerst worked with Hohenstein to conduct several wear comfort experiments on the interaction of the body, clothing and climate under zero gravity conditions.

These projects with NASA and Europeans Space Agency (ESA) tested convective and evaporative heat loss of textiles. Astronaut Alexander Gerst experimented with t-shirts (made of antibacterial fabrics) for sweat absorbtion and heat transfer during exercize on the International Space Station (ISS).

Comfort factors studied: thermal comfort (water vapor stability, thermal resistance, buffering of vaporous and liquid sweat, sweat transport, drying time, thermal insulation in dry and wet state) and skin sensorial comfort (wet cling index, the number of contact points, bending stiffness, absorption index and surface index).