Beta cloth

Beta cloth is a type of fireproof silica fiber cloth used in the manufacture of Apollo/Skylab A7L space suits, the Apollo Thermal Micrometeoroid Garment, and in other specialized applications.

Beta cloth consists of fine woven silica fiber, similar to fiberglass. The resulting fabric will not burn, and will melt only at temperatures exceeding 650 °C. To reduce its tendency to crease or tear when manipulated, and to increase durability, the fibers are coated with Teflon.

It was implemented in NASA space suits after the deadly 1967 Apollo 1 launch pad fire, in which the astronauts' nylon suits burned through. After the fire, NASA demanded any potentially flammable materials were to be removed from both the spacecraft and space suits. However they were challenged as to what they would replace it with and scoured the country in search of a material. Beta cloth was developed by a Manned Spacecraft Center team led by Frederick S. Dawn and including Matthew I. Radnofsky working with the Owens-Corning and DuPont companies.

References

Koontz; et al. (1993). "NASA Technical Memorandum 104748" (PDF). NASA.

Fabric

Woven	Aertex Airdura Airguard Barathea Barkcloth Batiste Bedford cord Bengaline silk Beta cloth Bombazine Brilliantine Broadcloth Buckram Bunting Burlap C change Calico Cambric Canvas Chambray Capilene Cedar bark Challis Char cloth Charmeuse Charvet Cheesecloth Chiffon Chino Chintz Cloqué Cloth of gold Cordura Corduroy Duck Coutil Crape Crêpe Cretonne Dazzle Denim Dimity Donegal tweed Dornix Dowlas Drill Drugget Eolienne Flannel Foulard Fustian Gabardine Gauze Gazar Georgette Ghalamkar Gingham Grenadine Grenfell Cloth Grosgrain Habutai Haircloth Harris Tweed Herringbone Himroo Hodden Irish linen Jamdani Kerseymere Khādī Khaki drill Kente cloth Lamé Lawn Linsey-woolsey Loden Longcloth Lumalive Mackinaw Madapolam Madras Moleskin Muslin Nainsook Nankeen Ninon Oilskin Organdy Organza Osnaburg Ottoman Oxford Paduasoy Percale Pongee Poplin Rakematiz Rayadillo Rep Rinzu Ripstop Russell cord Saga Nishiki Samite Sateen Satin Saye Scarlet Seersucker Serge Scrim Shot silk Stuff Taffeta Tais Toile Tucuyo Tweed Twill Ultrasuede Vegetable flannel Ventile Vinyl coated polyester Viyella Voile Wadmal Wigan Whipcord Zephyr Zorbeez

Figured woven	Brocade Camlet Damask Lampas Songket

Pile woven	Baize Chenille Corduroy Crimplene Fustian Mockado Moquette Plush Polar fleece Terrycloth Velours du Kasaï Velvet Velveteen Zibeline

Nonwoven	Felt Cedar bark

Knitted	Boiled wool Coolmax Machine knitting Milliskin Jersey Velour

Netted	Bobbinet Carbon fiber Lace Mesh Needlerun Net Ninon Tulle

Technical	Ballistic nylon Ban-Lon Conductive Darlexx E-textiles Gannex Gore-Tex Silnylon Spandex Stub-tex SympaTex Windstopper

Patterns	Argyle Bizarre silk Chiné Herringbone Houndstooth Paisley Pin stripes Polka dot Shweshwe Tartan (Plaid) Tattersall

Textile fibers	Acrylic Alpaca Angora Cashmere Coir Cotton Hemp Jute Kevlar Linen Mohair Nylon Microfiber Olefin Pashmina Polyester Piña Ramie Rayon Sea silk Silk Sisal Spandex Spider silk Wool

Finishing and printing	Androsia Batik Beetling Bingata Bògòlanfini Burnout Calendering Decatising Devoré Finishing Fulling Heatsetting Mercerization Moire Nap Rogan printing Rōketsuzome Roller printing Sanforization Tenterhook Textile printing Warp printing Waxed cotton Woodblock printing Indienne

Related	Dyeing Fiber History of textiles History of silk Knitting Pandy Shrinkage Swatches and strike-offs Synthetic fabric Terminology Manufacturing Preservation Weaving Yarn

Apollo program hardware

Vehicles	Apollo (spacecraft) Apollo Command/Service Module Apollo Lunar Module Lunar Escape Systems Lunar Roving Vehicle Saturn V

Vehicle components	Apollo Abort Guidance System Apollo Docking Mechanism Apollo Guidance Computer Primary Guidance, Navigation and Control System Apollo Telescope Mount Apollo TV camera Saturn Launch Vehicle Digital Computer Descent Propulsion System Ascent Propulsion System

Lunar surface	Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package Apollo/Skylab A7L (spacesuit) Beta cloth Lunar Laser Ranging experiment Modular Equipment Transporter Solar Wind Composition Experiment

Earth-based	Crawler-transporter Little Joe II Lunar Landing Research Vehicle Mobile Launcher Platform Mobile Quarantine Facility

Symbolic	Lunar plaque Lunar Flag Assembly Fallen Astronaut

Category:Apollo program

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Beta cloth

See also

References