Columbia Sportswear, partnered with Intuitive Machines, a space exploration company, to advance its technologies and material innovations to “lay the foundation for a sustainable human presence on the Moon” using Omni-Heat Infinity, a propriety heat-reflective technology developed by Columbia.
Intuitive Machines is using Omni-Heat Infinity in the upcoming launch of its Nova-C lunar lander.
In laboratory simulations leading up to this launch, Intuitive Machines’ researchers determined that the gold metallic foil of Columbia’s Omni-Heat Infinity fabric will provide benefits toward insulating the lunar lander against the harsh temperatures of space, which can vary between -250° and 250° Fahrenheit.
Following a multi-year scientific partnership first announced in 2021, Columbia will put its Omni-Heat Infinity technology to the ultimate test as a scientific partner exploring new frontiers.
“As an apparel company developing outdoor products for all seasons and all activities, it’s imperative that we test our technologies in the most extreme conditions and find ways to innovate beyond our customers’ current needs,” said Dr. Haskell Beckham, vice president of Innovation at Columbia Sportswear. “Taking key learnings from this partnership, we’ll be able to create new products that will help people enjoy more of the outdoors— regardless of conditions—and ultimately unlock the outdoors for everyone here on Earth.”
Selected by NASA to deliver scientific payloads to the surface of the Moon with its Nova-C lunar lander, Intuitive Machines hopes to mark the United States’ first return to the lunar surface in 50 years. The liftoff of the IM-1 lunar mission is targeted for a multi-day launch window that opens no earlier than February 14, 2024. The mission will be streamed live on NASA TV and intuitivemachines.com/im-1
“Columbia is focused on developing and testing new technologies in challenging environments, and our ongoing partnership with Intuitive Machines has the potential to drive even more innovation for our brand. As we look forward, we have an opportunity to set new standards—for ourselves and the industry,” said Joe Boyle, brand president of Columbia Sportswear.
IM-1 will be Intuitive Machine’s first of three scheduled lunar landings as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, a key part of NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration efforts. The science and technology payloads sent to the Moon’s surface as part of CLPS will “lay the foundation for a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface and the commercial development of the Moon.”
“Creating and defining the lunar economy requires innovation beyond the industry norm,” said Steve Altemus, president and CEO of Intuitive Machines. “By integrating Columbia’s Omni-Heat Infinity technology into our IM-1 lunar mission, we believe we’re trailblazing a path for near-term Earth solutions and the next generation of commercial space exploration that will open access to the Moon for the progress of humanity.”
To celebrate the flight, Columbia will take over the exterior of Sphere in Las Vegas on February 19 to highlight the role that Omni-Heat Infinity technology will have during the mission.
Images courtesy Columbia Sportswear x Intuitive Machines
