aerogel

The lightest solid material known, with a density only three times that of air. Its remarkable properties are being exploited on space missions, including some that are of relevance to astrobiology.

Aerogel was discovered in 1931 by Steven Kistler, a Stanford University researcher, and is sometimes referred to as "frozen smoke" because of its appearance. Although a block of aerogel the size of a person would weigh only 0.5 kg, its internal structure would allow it to support the weight of a small car. Its remarkable thermal insulation properties were employed to keep equipment on the Sojourner rover warm during the martian nights. In addition, it is ideal for capturing microscopic cosmic debris in pristine condition and for this task was used aboard the Stardust probe.

Related category

• INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

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