Veelo BLAC™, a super-black material that absorbs more than 99.6 percent of light, will be traveling to space as part of NASA’s Earth Science CubeSat Program on a 2018 mission to the International Space Station.
Compact Infrared Radiometer in Space (CIRiS) is an uncooled imaging infrared radiometer that is designed to provide high radiometric performance from Low Earth Orbit (LEO). CIRiS will travel to space on a CubeSat. Veelo BLAC™ will be used to adapt an existing component of CIRiS to be CubeSat compatible. Veelo BLAC™ reduces on-board calibration time and improves accuracy of collected data. CIRiS instrumentation is part of NASA’s LEO satellite program which has been established to perform breakthrough scientific research in land use management and climate change measurement.
Dr. Jae Kim, Senior Material Science Engineer and Inventor of Veelo BLAC™
Veelo BLAC™ is now available in small and large sizes, can be grown on multiple substrates, and can be applied to complex shaped parts.
Veelo BLAC™ is so black that it absorbs unwanted interference and reflections caused by stray light from the moon, stars, and other sources. By improving a space instrument’s ability to emit infrared energy, satellites can capture and process more accurate and precise information. This precision is critical to the success of LEO missions. Veelo BLAC™ eliminates signal interference and poor image quality caused by stray light.
Veelo BLAC™ is a patented carbon nanotube (CNT) coating technology that can be manufactured directly onto sub-component surfaces while having mechanical and adhesive properties that are strong enough to withstand a rocket launch. Selection of Veelo BLAC™ for use in the CIRiS satellite signifies the trust that NASA and a top 100 global defense contractor have in the performance capabilities of Veelo BLAC™.
NASA’s In-Space Validation of Earth Science Technologies (InVEST) program provides financial support for companies to develop technologies that will enable continued monitoring of Earth from space. CubeSat satellites, which are compact satellites small enough to fit in a palm or large enough to fill a shoebox, are one of the products being developed under the InVEST program. Products developed with the support of InVEST funding reduce risks to future missions through spaceflight validation.
Veelo™, a new class of engineered materials, is manufactured by General Nano. The full line of Veelo™ products, including Veelo BLAC™, Veelo HEAT™, Veelo SHIELD™, and Veelo STRIKE™ help companies improve Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) of their applications and Perform Smarter™.