Columbia Sportswear and Intuitive Machines Expand Scientific Partnership with New Moon Mission

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 02. 28. 10:57

Columbia Sportswear continues to push the boundaries of innovative technology by expanding its partnership with aerospace company Intuitive Machines ahead of the second historic lunar landing. Columbia’s Omni-Heat™ Infinity and Omni-Shade™ Sun Deflector technologies will help protect the lander from the extreme cold and heat of space and the Moon. The mission to the Moon’s south pole will drill into the surface to find ice on the Moon, a scientific milestone never before attempted in this harsh environment.

Following last year’s successful IM-1 mission, which featured Columbia’s Omni-Heat Infinity insulation technology, Columbia and Intuitive Machines worked closely to design and test thermal fabrics that fully integrate Columbia’s Omni-Heat Infinity technology, along with an additional technology, Omni-Shade Sun Deflector, into the IM-2 lander, Athena. Omni-Heat Infinity heat-reflective insulation helps protect parts of the lander from freezing temperatures, while Omni-Shade Sun Deflector technology shields other parts of Athena from the sun’s extreme heat in space and on the lunar surface.

“On the IM-1 mission, we demonstrated the insulating power and durability of our Omni-Heat Infinity technology to protect the lander—the same insulation we use in our winter jackets and gear. As we celebrated this historic moment, we knew this was just the first step in unlocking the true potential of Columbia’s patented innovations,” said Dr. Haskell Beckham, vice president of innovation at Columbia Sportswear. “Through this scientific partnership, we have been able to push the boundaries of material and product testing to the limit while delivering some of the most innovative outdoor solutions in the world.”

Athena will be exposed to extreme heat from the Sun as it conducts experiments on the lunar surface. Columbia’s Omni-Shade Sun Deflector technology, a patented material developed to protect humans from the intense heat of the sun, will be incorporated into a multi-layer insulation (MLI) blanket that covers the upper deck of the lander. Columbia’s technology will help keep the lander cooler to prevent overheating by deflecting the sun’s rays away from Athena’s vital batteries and avionics. On Earth, Omni-Shade Sun Deflector is found in many Columbia warm-weather products and uses reflective dots made of titanium dioxide to deflect the sun’s hot rays away from the body, reducing heat build-up and keeping people cooler outdoors.