OROS to Research New Flight Suits For US Air Force

The Ultra-Insulated Apparel Brand Receives Award From AFWERX

Portland, OR: OROS, a Portland-based cold-weather apparel company, announced today that their parent company Lukla Inc. has been selected to receive an award from the United States Air Force as part of their Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) initiative. The goal of this project will be to explore the viability of implementing OROS’s SOLARCORE® technology in the development of new long-range flight suits.AFWERX, in partnership with Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), and the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), developed the SBIR as a competitive awards-based program that enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization.“Our team couldn’t be more thrilled to be taking on this project, “ says Jeff Nash, CTO and VP of Product at OROS. “Everything we do at OROS is about taking the most advanced insulation technology and evolving and tailoring it for application in real-life situations. Putting our research to use for individuals whose pursuits require them to push their physical limits is essentially why we do what we do, so we’re incredibly enthused about this work with the US Air Force.”From AFWERX: "AFRL and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research process in an attempt to speed up the experience, broaden the pool of potential applicants and decrease bureaucratic overhead. Beginning in SBIR 18.2, the Air Force has begun offering 'Special' SBIR topics that are faster, leaner and open to a broader range of innovations.”The research around new directions in flight suits marks an exciting evolution of OROS’ proprietary technology, SOLARCORE®. Based on NASA's groundbreaking aerogel technology, SOLARCORE® was originally developed to simplify cold-weather wardrobes by creating the most scientifically advanced, warmest, and most versatile insulated zero-bulk gear on the planet. OROS garments neutralize external elements and maintain a consistent core temperature in all conditions.SOLARCORE® insulation works by trapping more air per millimeter thickness than either down or synthetic fibers, enabling it to outperform over 200 leading insulations in thermal conductivity test ASTM C518.About OROS: OROS creates premium technical insulated gear that empowers the modern urbanite to do more with less. The brand started when co-founder Michael Markesbery, an Astronaut Scholarship recipient, had a big idea: using the aerogel technology NASA uses to insulate spacecraft to protect humans against extreme environments here on Earth. Michael and co-founder Rithvik Venna built a small team to develop the most advanced insulated materials on the planet and use them to power an entirely new category of insulated apparel. About AFWERX: AFWERX is expanding technology, talent, and transition partnerships for rapid and affordable commercial and military capability. Organizationally, AFWERX has three efforts: AFVentures, Spark, and Prime. AFVentures taps both U.S. and global tech ecosystems, using military problems to accelerate commercial technologies. The second branch, Spark, is all about empowering innovation at the operational edge. The third branch, Prime, is all about priming—and then accelerating—emerging commercial markets using military missions and equities.