Beta cloth is a type of fireproof silica fiber cloth used in the manufacture of space suit, Thermal Micrometeoroid Garments and in other specialized applications.
Beta cloth consists of fine woven silica fiber, similar to fiberglass. The resulting product will not burn, and will melt only at temperatures exceeding 650 °C. To reduce its tendency to crease or tear when manipulated, the fibers may be coated with Teflon.
Beta cloth was developed by a team led by Frederick S. Dawn working with the Dow-Corning Company. It was implemented in NASA space suits shortly after the deadly Apollo 1 launchpad fire; the astronauts' nylon suits melted and fused together in the fire. The fire resistant Beta cloth was among the changes made to make the Apollo spacecraft and systems safer in the case of a similar situation.
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