Rare large swatch of Chromel-R fabric, approximately measuring 35″ x 13.25″. Rolled and in fine condition, with some scattered wear. Comprised of 20% Chromium and 80% Nickel, Chromel-R was produced as a woven fabric of chromel wires that was developed by Litton Industries for use by NASA in the Gemini and Apollo programs. Chromel-R was most significantly used as an outer layer of the Apollo space suit where abrasion resistance was required. This was done by using patches, rather than an entire garment, which avoided flexibility problems that made Gene Cernan's Gemini 9 spacewalk a bit cumbersome; the steep price of Chromel-R material—$3,000 per yard in 1968—may also have been partial reason for its modest usage. From the collection of a member of the engineering and design team at ILC Industries in Dover, Delaware, from 1964 to 1972.
