Aramid

A Lunar Space Elevator [LSE] can be built today from existing commercial polymers; manufactured, launched and deployed for less than $2B. A prototype weighing 48 tons with 100 kg payload can be launched by 3 Falcon-Heavy's, and will pay for itself in 53 sample return cycles within one month. It reduces the cost of soft landing on the Moon at least threefold, and sample return cost at least ninefold. Many benefits would arise. A near side LSE can enable valuable science mission, as well as mine valuable resources and ship to market in cislunar space, LEO and Earth's surface. A far-side LSE can facilitate construction and operation of a super sensitive radio astronomy facility shielded from terrestrial interference by the Moon. The LSE would facilitate substantial acceleration of human expansion beyond LEO.

The cut and puncture resistance of thermoplastic (TP) impregnated, woven aramid fabric is characterized under quasi-static and dynamic stab testing conditions. Polyethylene, Surlyn®, and co-extruded polyethylene–Surlyn films of various thicknesses are laminated into fabrics and compared with neat fabrics at equal weights and layer counts. The results show that TP-laminated fabrics improve the stab and puncture resistance of the fabrics, through a combination of increased cut resistance and reduced windowing. All films are shown to be effective, although thin Surlyn films appear to provide the best overall performance. The results also show that the TP films need to be integrally bonded to the fabrics in order to achieve synergistic property enhancement.