Question

keeping racers cool: from nasa spacesuit research to racing suit underwear
by andrew wagner
jun 10, 2021
1 pushing speeds arent the only challenge facing drivers at the nascar all - star race; they also face extreme heat in the drivers seat. and when youre in the hot seat, nasa technology can help you keep your cool.
2 this season, several nascar racers are wearing undergarments made from a heat - stabilizing material originally designed to keep astronauts comfortable on spacewalks even when the temperature outside their spacesuit spikes to hundreds of degrees.
3 for spacewalks to even be possible, spacesuits need major insulation and temperature controls to withstand temperature swings 250 degrees above and 250 degrees below zero fahrenheit. in the 1980s, nasas johnson space center in houston entered into a small business innovation research (sbir) contract with the triangle research and development corporation to develop a glove material that would help maintain a steady, comfortable temperature. the secret was found in phase - change materials.
4 phase - change materials absorb and release heat through basic characteristics of matter. as surrounding temperatures rise, the heat the material absorbs melts it from solid to liquid. this works in the opposite direction as well, releasing heat as the material solidifies again. no matter what phase its in, in either hot or cold environments, the temperature stays around the melting point. this ensures that the material, much like goldilocks porridge, always feels just right.
5 triangles work for nasa successfully incorporated microcapsules containing a phase - change material into a synthetic - fiber insulating material for a spacesuit glove insert. the inserts never made their way into orbit, but to the engineers who developed them, they showed much promise.
6 in the 1990s, the company gateway technologies, now known as outlast technologies, acquired exclusive patent rights from triangle to
5
select the correct answer.
which detail best supports the idea that walero may develop new products to sell in other markets?
a. \james says waleros products have been adopted by drivers in all levels of racing since they hit the market in 2015, including indycar and the european rally championship.\ (paragraph 12)
b. \with the designs completed, the company wanted to ensure its product would work in a real - life situation. to do that, we had to run simulations, said james.\ (paragraph 10)
c. \fiona james thought there might be some way to make the experience a bit more bearable. she believed the key might be in the specialized clothing worn by all race drivers: full - body undergarments.\ (paragraph 8)
d. \ive sold it to hikers who wanted to keep warm on a walk, james said. i also sold walero once to someone who was going through menopause to stabilize her temperature.\ (paragraph 14)
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Explanation:

• Option A: Talks about adoption in racing, not new markets.
• Option B: Mentions simulations for product validation, not new markets.
• Option C: Focuses on using existing specialized clothing for racers, not new markets.
• Option D: Mentions selling to hikers (new market - outdoor activity) and someone going through menopause (new market - health - related temperature - stabilization), which shows potential for developing products for other markets.

Answer:

D. "I've sold it to hikers who wanted to keep warm on a walk,' James said. 'I also sold Walero once to someone who was going through menopause to stabilize her temperature.'" (paragraph 14)