‘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.
NASA's Mars Perseverance rover,
NASA's Mars Perseverance rover,
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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