Latest News
May 01 2015
NASA has selected Quest for an SBIR Phase II R&D contract to continue development of Cellular Load Responsive MLI (CLR). CLR is a high performance insulation system for launch vehicles that provides high performance both in-air and in-space, and could replace problematic SOFI on launch vehicle. The Phase I program successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the CLR, with a prototype with measured heat fluxes of 46 W/m2 in-air and 11 W/m2 in-vacuum (compared to SOFI with 236 W/m2). CLRMLI is a novel technology with a cryopumping cellular core containing LRMLI insulation layers. The... Read More
February 01 2015
Quest is building IMLI to insulate the Ball Aerospace/NASA Green Propellant Infusion Mission spacecraft. This will be the second spaceflight for IMLI, increasing it's TRL to 9, scheduled as a secondary payload on the first Falcon 9 Heavy flight. Image shows IMLI on the GPIM spacecraft, courtesy Ball Aerospace.
November 01 2014
Quest is providing samples of a new launch vehicle insulation system called Vacuum Cellular MLI (VCMLI) for demonstration to United Launch Alliance. VCMLI can provide high thermal performance both in-air pre-launch and in-space. VCMLI is modeled to provide as low as 47 W/m2 in-air and 4.7 W/m2 in-space, compared to Spray On Foam Insulation with approx 236 W/m2 heat flux in-air. VCMLI uses Quest proprietary technology that provides a cryopumped cellular core with external Launch Vehicle MLI.
June 21 2014
Quest is pleased to receive another NASA SBIR contract - to develop our latest concept Cellular Load Responsive MLI. CLR is a high performance cryogenic insulation for use on launch vehicles. This insulation self evacuates via cryopumping when in contact with cryopropellant tanks, and does not require any external vacuum acquisition. CLR would be ideal insulation for launch vehicles, operates both in-air and in-space, replaces SOFI and by dramatically reducing propellant boiloff improves launch capabilities.
May 15 2014
Quest engineers are designing a new high temperature IMLI for a world-leading vehicle manufacturer to keep molten salt batteries hot for electric vehicles. High Temperature Ceramic Post IMLI combines discrete spacer technology, high temperature ceramics, high temperature radiant barriers and our load supporting technology to form a high performance, low mass vacuum case insulation system that operates in air up to about 600C/1100F.
April 17 2014
NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate Assoc Administrator, Dr. Michael Gazarik, hosted a teleconference on the space tech portfolio, recent and upcoming events, and the effect the new space technologies will have. Gazarik made special mention of Ball Aerospace for the Green Propellant Infusion Mission and of Quest for developing innovative, next generation thermal insulation that will fly on this NASA supported Tech Demo Mission.
April 07 2014
Quest Thermal engineers have begun designing a new High Temperature IMLI, based on ceramic discrete spacers, to insulate hot molten salt batteries for electric vehicles for a leading World class industrial vehicle company. Prototypes will be fabricated and tested in Q3 2014.
March 25 2014
Gary Mills of Ball Aerospace presented the paper "Flight Demonstration of Integrated MLI on the Green Propellant Infusion Mission" at the Spacecraft Thermal Control Workshop March 2014. Gary described the testing on IMLI that qualified it for a spacecraft flight scheduled for 2015. Flying IMLI on the GPIM will achieve our goal of reaching TRL9 for spacecraft applications.
February 01 2014
Quest's Load Bearing MLI (LBMLI), a structural MLI that can self support external loads such as broad area cooled thermal shields used for cryocooled Zero Boil Off cryogenic propellant systems, will undergo further testing at NASA Glenn Research Center. NASA CFM researcher Wes Johnson will test LBMLI coupons using a new low temperature calorimeter being built at Glenn. Goals include better understanding of superinsulation performance at very low temperatures (20K).
January 07 2014
Quest Thermal Group completed a NASA Phase I contract with the successful demonstration of our latest high performance insulation called Advanced Cooled Shield MLI. ACS systems allow either passive Vapor Cooled Shield or active Broad Area Cooled Shield operation, and had 22% lower heat flux with LN2 tanks than high performance IMLI. ACS use on LH2 tanks is modeled to provide 70% lower heat flux than IMLI, with up to 75% less mass than current state of the art tube-on-shield Broad Area Cooled shields. Quest ACS-MLI involved new inventions in cooled gas distribution, integrated into our IMLI... Read More