Self-Supporting High Performance Multi-Layer Insulation Technology Development (SSMLI)

NASA TechPort describes SSMLI as a completed Game Changing Development project that ground-tested Integrated Multi-Layer Insulation (IMLI), using rigid low-conductivity polymer spacers to keep radiation barriers separated and make the blanket self-supporting. The technology reduced heat leak and fabrication uncertainty while improving durability for cryogenic tanks and spacecraft thermal shields; NASA reports measured insulation improvements of up to 37 percent in coupons and potential gains up to 73 percent in a full system.