‘Martian death by sunlight’: The race to build a suit that won’t rot on Mars

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

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Rover’s Double Duty

While searching for ancient Martian life, Perseverance is also stress-testing spacesuit fabrics—exposing them to four years of real Martian radiation, dust, and cold.

Mars vs. Materials

Five suit swatches—polycarbonate, Vectran, two Teflons, and Ortho-Fabric—have endured UV bombardment, freezing temps, and corrosive perchlorate-laced dust.

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Sunburned Suits

Mars lacks a magnetic shield, so its surface is bombarded with solar radiation. SHERLOC is capturing how UV light rapidly weakens protective materials.

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Rapid Decay

50% of the material changes occurred within just the first 200 Martian days. Vectran—used in gloves—showed signs of degradation first, raising astronaut safety questions.

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Space-Grade Stress Test

NASA will now simulate Mars-like conditions on Earth to compare lab results with Perseverance’s real-time Martian data—down to tears, brittleness, and flexibility loss.

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Built to Bend

Spacesuit fabrics must resist tearing yet remain flexible. Scientists are watching for changes that could compromise heat retention, air sealing, or dexterity.

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Shoulder to Palm

Not all parts of a suit get equal wear. Sun-exposed zones like shoulders may degrade faster than shielded areas like gloves—critical intel for suit design.

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Tough Terrain

Mars dust sticks like static and chews through fabric like sandpaper. Suits need to resist this slow grind if astronauts are to roam the surface safely.

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Designing for Marswalkers

Insights from SHERLOC’s fabric test will influence the next generation of suits for Moon and Mars missions—built to survive where no human has walked yet.

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