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- Written by: Jack Clayton
From legendary NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong making giant leaps on the Moon, on behalf of all mankind, to the stirring music and imagery of Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi classic ‘2001’, the vastness of space (and our species’ reaction to it) has conjured up some of the most iconic images of the last 60 years. Star Wars, Interstellar, Dune, ‘The Race For Space’ album by Public Service Broadcasting (‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ by Pink Floyd isn’t bad either); we could talk about the impact of space on earth’s culture until the extraterrestrial cows come home.
Apart from encouraging adventures in Northern Lights destinations and attempting to replicate the night sky photography of Alyn Wallace though, you could argue that the connection between the cosmos and a magazine likes ours is a limited one. This mindset, however, clearly just resides in the minds of the people who are completely unaware of Columbia Sportswear’s Omni-Heat reflective technology.“The ideal option for insulating their lunar lander against the extreme temperatures that exist on the Moon”At the end of last year, it was revealed that Columbia Sportswear’s new Omni-Heat tech was to be incorporated into Intuitive Machines’ upcoming mission to the Moon. Chosen by NASA to build and launch their Nova-C lunar lander, Intuitive Machines’ mission is all set to mark the United States’ first return to the lunar surface in 50 years. In laboratory simulations leading up to the launch that’s currently scheduled for 2023, researchers at Intuitive Machines came to the conclusion that the gold metallic foil of Columbia’s Omni-Heat Infinity would be the ideal option for insulating their lunar lander against the extreme temperatures that exist on the Moon. It’s an exciting collaboration, and a first-of-its-kind sponsorship, with Columbia and Intuitive Machines clearly sharing a commitment to innovation, technology, and exploration. Speaking on the subject of their cosmic team-up, Steve Altemus – president and CEO of Intuitive Machines – said “Creating and defining the lunar economy requires making the Moon available for everyone. Columbia embodies the spirit of exploration, and we are proud to have their support for America’s return to the Moon.”
What Is Omni-Heat Infinity? How Does It Work?
With something of a ‘villain in the third film of the Austin Powers franchise’ vibe to it (“smoke and a pancake”), Omni-Heat Infinity uses tiny gold dots in its construction. Of course, these tiny gold dots aren’t just for show. They actually have a highly practical purpose. What the dots do, in a nutshell, is reflect your own body heat back at you. As Columbia put it so vividly on their website, it’s “Like if a space blanket and a jacket had a warm, golden baby.”“Like if a space blanket and a jacket had a warm, golden baby”In an outdoor setting, of course, the benefits of such technology are clear and obvious. Omni-Heat Infinity delivers instant warmth, and doesn’t compromise on breathability. If you’re all about getting active outdoors during the cold months of winter, you’ll love how comfortable the products that uses this set-up can make you feel in low temperatures. Because the Omni-Heat Infinity can keep you warm but keep things breathable at the same time, it’s able to be properly versatile in terms of usage. From relatively casual activities like hiking to more fast and furious activities like skiing and trail running, it’s got the kind of properties that means you can really up intensities without creating a stuffy and sweaty environment inside as a result. The gaps between the gold dots essentially allow warm air and subsequent moisture to escape.
