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ICYMI: Zip lines for astronaut emergencies

Probably their only opportunity to yell "Wheeeeee!" during a crisis.

Today on In Case You Missed It: Researchers at Aalto University have found a way to make clothing truly recyclable via a process called Ioncell. An ionic solvent dissolves the cellulose found in natural fibers, leaving behind the synthetic parts of the blend. The dissolved material can be extracted, reconstituted, then respun and woven into cloth which can then be reused. It's not perfect since it doesn't work on those synthetic weaves, but it could make the fashion industry a lot less wasteful.

Meanwhile, Boeing and United Launch Alliance (ULA) recently discovered a new use for the zip lines: Emergency egress systems for astronauts. While passengers of the CST-100 Starliner already have an emergency procedure for after the rocket's engines have fired up (standard ejection system that parachutes them safely away), NASA requires there also be a solution for before the engines are lit. The modified zip lines would be mounted on the crew access tower so that astronauts can navigate to the exit hatch and control the brake-controlled handles by touch alone.

As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @Dameright.