Leather in space

16 July 2002




Tenerías Omega, Spain, customers of BASF, have become the first tannery in the world to manufacture leather that will be sent to the International Space Station. Tenerías Omega will provide all the upholstery for the 'Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System' (MARES). MARES is a facility that will be used to study the effects of zero gravity on the human body. It has been developed by the Spanish company Nuevas Tecnologías Espaciales for the European Space Agency. Seventy-seven components of MARES had to be upholstered with leather to cushion the body during scientific experiments. Tenerías Omega produced the leather with BASF leather chemicals both at the wet-end and in the finishing phases. The leather had to pass an infinite number of complex tests to prove its outstanding properties and to fulfil the very stringent requirements.



Privacy Policy
We have updated our privacy policy. In the latest update it explains what cookies are and how we use them on our site. To learn more about cookies and their benefits, please view our privacy policy. Please be aware that parts of this site will not function correctly if you disable cookies. By continuing to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy unless you have disabled them.