Assessment of Thermal Management Concepts for Mars Spacesuits Through Materials Research and Simulations

Mars presents a challenging environment for spacesuit thermal regulation due to its thin atmosphere, fluctuating temperatures, and exposure to wind and dust. Traditional Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) is effective in a vacuum but does not provide the same thermal properties on a planetary surface that has an atmosphere; thus, new designs and materials for Mars-specific spacesuits are needed. This paper outlines an initial thermal evaluation, focusing on materials and reflecting on thermal insulation and mechanical suitability. A database of potential insulators was developed by evaluating material properties. Among the results, aerogels emerge as promising candidates for their thermal insulation performance. However, their limited flexibility does not meet the mechanical requirements for spacesuits, making hybrid structures necessary, such as fiber-reinforced aerogels. To establish a foundation for future testing, MLI and aerogel test requirements are being defined and test setups refined under simulated Martian conditions, with the goal of generating baseline data and informing further analyses using validated material data in conjunction with the Virtual Spacesuit (V-SUIT) simulation tool. Martian weather and environmental conditions were analyzed to define requirements and boundary conditions for further modeling. As an outlook, these initial results provide a foundation for simulations that will be performed to assess the technical feasibility of proposed materials and suit designs under Martian surface conditions