Heat Tape

Heat tape exists in durable Supply and deliberately failing IT varieties; it is now needed for the survivors’ departure preparations.

Story so far

Juliette found that tape diverted from IT fell apart easily and nearly caused an exhaust fire, unlike the more durable material used in Mechanical. She and Walker interpreted Scottie’s message as evidence that the failure was deliberate. Mechanical’s tape withstood a wool pad that would have damaged IT’s version, and protective tape formed a melted skin over Juliette’s gloves.

For later suit work, Juliette specified Supply’s yellow-spooled tape rather than the red-spooled variety. Solo identified the yellow kind as the good tape used on the compressor. Outside-air testing left Supply tape intact while eating a hole through IT tape, and one sample vanished in the airlock control container. Heat tape is now among the materials needed to prepare for departure.

Appearance

Heat-resistant wrapping used in overlapping strips and supplied on spools. The durable Supply version is identified by yellow spools, contrasted with red-spooled tape.

Role

A protective material whose differing durability exposed deliberate equipment failure and now matters to escape preparations.

Relationships

Juliette — Juliette recognizes the inferior tape’s behavior, selects the durable kind, and tests both varieties.

Walker — Walker and Juliette connect the failing tape to deliberate sabotage.

IT — IT’s heat tape is engineered to fail.

Supply — Supply provides the more durable yellow-spooled tape.

Earlier in this series

Also appears in books you've already read — spoiler-safe to their endings:

WoolBook 1

Sources — 3 recorded facts, by chapter

Chapter 25

The hill air sample leaves the Supply heat tape intact but eats a hole through the IT heat tape.
One of the two heat tape samples has vanished from the airlock control container.

Chapter 61

Heat tape is among the materials required for the departure preparations.