The European Space agency (ESA) launched its Innovation Triangle Initiative in March 2004. The goal was to speed up the turnaround time from an idea to a product by creating a close collaboration between inventors and developers. Today, 27 space projects have been validated, “pioneering technology to explore other planets.”

One of these projects is focused on smart new textiles, designed to be the basic building blocks of large structures to be deployed in space, such as future solar sails. This overview contains more details about this project, including pictures of jackets you’re not about to wear anytime soon.

The European Space agency (ESA) launched its Innovation Triangle Initiative in March 2004. The goal was to speed up the turnaround time from an idea to a product by creating a close collaboration between inventors and developers. Today, 27 space projects have been validated, “pioneering technology to explore other planets.”
One of these projects is focused [...]