How is mylar useful in space exploration?
Mylar is used by people here on Earth for all kinds of things from food wrapping to blankets to glitter. I've seen mylar-wrapped spacecraft in museums and in documentaries, but I am not sure how it's being used. What is the purpose of wrapping spacecraft in such a delicate material?
Answers ( 2 )
The material that you saw on the spacecraft wrap is probably Kapton. It is similar in appearance to mylar, but has outstanding thermal conductivity at temperatures as low as .5-5 K. It is also good in high vaccum situations due to its low outgassing rates.
It could be gold-coated Mylar or Kapton, for shielding against heat transfer by thermal radiation. You have probably seen "space blankets" or "super-insulation" made from aluminized Mylar; gold works better, but aluminum is cheaper.