Versiv Beta Cloth for Spacecraft and Satellites
Comprised of a high performance PTFE and glass composite, Versiv Beta® Cloth is often used as the outer layer in multilayer insulation blanket (MLI). The special design of the product provides the strength, resistance to flex fatigue and handle which sets it apart from other standard coated fabrics and makes it more suitable for space applications.
All materials used in making an MLI blanket need to be treated as flight- or program-critical hardware from the time they are received, and separation of the radiation barriers is maintained by lightweight, low-thermal conductivity materials between the reflectors.
In many applications, some properties or values are diminished by end of life as the effects of thermocycling, atomic oxygen, solar ultraviolet radiation, vacuum ultraviolet radiation, and space debris attack the exposed surface. Versiv Beta® Cloth can withstand these harsh conditions, serving as a barrier and protecting the inner surface.
Easy to use, Versiv Beta® Cloth is used in fabrication of the MLI and affixing the multiple component layers into a single insulator, typically with sewing, thermal lamination, or adhesives. Due to its mechanical properties, Beta® Cloth is suitable for the production of complex geometries by enabling an overlapping series of sub-modules within the insulator. This lightly coated, low outgassing material has a great deal of flight legacy being used in proximity to sensitive components and equipment.
Beta® is a registered trademark of Advanced Glassfiber Yarns LLC (AGY).
