The Moonrise mission would focus on the giant South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on the far side, which lies between the Moon's South Pole and Aitken Crater, just 16° south of the Moon's equator. The SPA Basin is the oldest, deepest, observable impact basin on the Moon and ranks among the largest recognised impact structures in the solar system at nearly 2500km in diameter and 12km deep.
Since there is no atmosphere on the moon, there is also no light reflection. To create the same conditions indoors, they needed wall coverings that absorbed the maximum percentage of light possible.
NASA came across an independent study by the Lab for Light technology in Ghent comparing the light reflection of a variety of black fabrics. The results were clear, cotton velvet velours in the flame retardant UltraBlack range from ShowTex absorb more than 99% of incoming light across the whole visible spectrum. NASA's own studies confirmed the results, and UltraBlack velvets from ShowTex will be used to line the Moonrise lab.
"It's the blackest fabric on earth, and beyond - and is NASA approved," says ShowTex.
(Jim Evans)
