VL Flock Sheet vs. IR Flock Sheet: Choosing Darkroom Materials to Simulate Space

When people hear the phrase “recreating space on Earth,” many imagine a completely dark room.

In practice, designing an environment that simulates space conditions is more complex than simply making a room dark. The type of “darkness” required depends on what is observing the environment. A space intended to appear dark to the human eye may require different materials than one designed for optical sensors and precision instruments.

Based on experience from projects such as satellite testing support and celestial tracking simulations, the following overview explains how different materials may be selected for different types of darkroom environments.

1. Recreating Space for Human Vision: VL Flock Sheet

For applications such as planetariums, photography studios, or visual simulations of star tracking, the primary viewer is typically the human eye or a standard camera.

In these cases, VL Flock Sheet is commonly used.

Example Applications

• Star field projection environments for celestial tracking simulations
  

• Filming scenes that simulate spacecraft flybys or space environments
  

• Exhibition spaces where visual immersion is important
  
  

Why Flocked Fabric?

In the visible spectrum, this type of material can achieve very high light absorption (around 99.7%). The surface contains fine fibers that trap incoming light, helping reduce glare or bright reflections even when light hits the surface at an angle.

Because of these characteristics, flocked fabrics are often used when the goal is to create a visually convincing dark environment where surfaces fade into the background.

2. Recreating Space for Optical Sensors: IR Flock Sheet

Different considerations apply when the environment is intended for optical testing of space hardware, such as the operation of satellite star trackers or other sensor systems.

In aerospace testing environments, stray light in the infrared (IR) spectrum can be a critical issue. Many sensors used in spacecraft operate beyond the visible range and remain sensitive to wavelengths that are invisible to humans.

Example Applications

• Ground testing of satellite star trackers
  

• Calibration environments for infrared sensors
  

• Evaluation testing for night-vision systems
  

In these situations, materials designed to suppress near-infrared reflections become important.

IR Flock Sheet is a flocked material designed to maintain very low reflectance from the visible spectrum into the near-infrared region. Many standard black fabrics or coatings appear dark in visible light but may transmit or reflect infrared wavelengths, which can create unintended reflections when viewed by infrared-sensitive instruments.

Using materials designed for low reflectance in these wavelengths can help reduce cases where a surface appears dark to human observers but produces strong reflections when viewed by sensors.

Example: Visible vs. Near-Infrared Behavior

Two materials may appear similarly black in visible light. However, when viewed using a near-infrared camera, their behavior can differ significantly.

Standard black fabrics may reflect infrared light and appear bright in infrared imaging, while materials engineered for infrared absorption, such as IR Flock Sheet, can maintain a darker appearance under those conditions.

3. Material Selection Checklist

The most appropriate material depends on which wavelengths must be controlled in the environment being created.

Conclusion: “Black” Depends on Wavelength Relevance

There is no single definition of “black” when designing optical environments.

Some materials are optimized for visual immersion, creating spaces that appear extremely dark to human observers. Others are engineered to suppress reflections across a broader wavelength range so that optical sensors and scientific instruments detect minimal stray light.

Selecting materials based on the relevant wavelength range is therefore an important step when designing darkrooms for simulation, testing, or imaging applications.

Thank you for taking the time to read about the differences between the VL and IR Flock sheet. If you are interested in purchasing one or both of the materials, please visit the website or the hyperlinks listed below.

• VL Flock Sheet
• IR Flock Sheet

If you would like to purchase the blackest material we offer for visible light-absorption, darker than both of the products listed above in this blog, then checkout Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI. See you in the next one!