Houston, We Don't Have a Problem

With the ability to heal itself from the penetration of a bullet in less than one second, a new material developed by a team at the University of Michigan could be a means to keep astronauts alive in the event of a puncture to their gear. Even the smallest puncture in a space suit means certain death for astronauts. Most self-healing polymers take minutes to repair which is far too long to survive. The new material uses oxygen to speed up the healing process to virtually seconds, assuring safety for suits as well as habitats in space.

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