PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 19, 2025--
Columbia Sportswear (NASDAQ: COLM) continues to test the limits of its innovative technologies by expanding its partnership with space exploration company Intuitive Machines ahead of its historic second lunar launch later this month. Columbia’s Omni-Heat™ Infinity and Omni-Shade™ Sun Deflector technologies will help protect the lander from the extreme cold and hot temperatures in space and on the Moon. The goal of the mission to the Moon’s south pole is to drill into the surface to search for lunar ice, a feat that has never been attempted in this inhospitable environment.
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Intuitive Machines’ lunar lander Athena employs two of Columbia’s patented technologies to help protect it against the extreme temperatures on the Moon. (Photo: Business Wire)
Following last year’s successful IM-1 mission that incorporated Columbia’s Omni-Heat Infinity insulation technology, Columbia and Intuitive Machines have worked closely together to design and test thermal management materials that fully integrate Columbia’s Omni-Heat Infinity technology, plus an additional technology called Omni-Shade Sun Deflector, into the IM-2 lander, Athena. Omni-Heat Infinity heat-reflective insulation will help protect part of the lander from freezing cold temperatures, while Omni-Shade Sun Deflector technology will help shield part of Athena from the sun’s extreme heat in space and on the lunar surface.
“During the IM-1 mission, we demonstrated the insulative power and durability of our Omni-Heat Infinity technology to help protect the lander – the same insulation used in our winter jackets and gear. While we celebrated this historic moment, we knew it was just the first step in unlocking the true potential of Columbia’s patented innovations,” said Dr. Haskell Beckham, Vice President of Innovation at Columbia Sportswear. “Through this scientific partnership, we have been able to stretch the boundaries of material and product testing to the furthest frontiers, reinforcing our commitment to delivering some of the most innovative outdoor solutions in the world.”
Athena will face extreme heat from the sun as it conducts experiments on the lunar surface. Columbia’s Omni-Shade Sun Deflector technology, a patented material developed to shield people from the intense heat from the sun, will be integrated into a multilayer insulation (MLI) blanket covering the top deck of the lander. Columbia’s technology will help keep the lander cooler to prevent overheating by reflecting solar radiation away from Athena’s essential batteries and avionics. On Earth, Omni-Shade Sun Deflector material is featured in several warm-weather products and uses reflective dots of titanium dioxide to deflect the hot rays of the sun away from the body, which mitigates heat build-up to help people feel cooler outdoors.
As it did for the IM-1 mission, Columbia’s award-winning Omni-Heat Infinity technology will again be used, this time to insulate the helium tank on Athena, helping protect it against temperatures ranging from approximately +250° to -250° Fahrenheit as Athena journeys through space and during the lander’s operational phase on the lunar surface.
“We proudly join Intuitive Machines on this second historic lunar mission, furthering their goal to return humans to the Moon, and lending our engineered materials to the cause,” said Joe Boyle, Brand President at Columbia Sportswear. “From our headquarters in Portland, Oregon all the way to the surface of the Moon, we can confidently say our products undergo the most rigorous testing to ensure they meet the highest standards of performance. This partnership has allowed us to fearlessly experiment and employ our technologies in the most extreme environments, advancing our shared commitment to human exploration on Earth and beyond.”
As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (“CLPS”) initiative, a key part of NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration efforts, Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission is set to demonstrate lunar mobility, resource prospecting, and analysis of volatile substances from subsurface materials. This is a critical step toward uncovering water sources beyond Earth—a key component for establishing sustainable infrastructure both on the lunar surface and in space.
Liftoff of the IM-2 lunar mission is targeted for a multi-day launch window that opens no earlier than February 26 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and the mission will be streamed live on NASA TV and https://www.intuitivemachines.com/im-2.
“Space and Earth are part of an innovation ecosystem where progress in one fuels advancement in the other,” said Steve Altemus, President and CEO of Intuitive Machines. “By continuing our partnership with Columbia Sportswear, we’re proving that commercial innovation can break engineering barriers, supporting new industries on the Moon while driving technological advancements that reshape markets on Earth.”
For high-resolution images, video, and more information on the partnership between Columbia and Intuitive Machines, please visit here. To learn more about Columbia’s scientific partnership with Intuitive Machines, you can also visit www.columbia.com/moon.
About Columbia Sportswear:
Columbia, the flagship brand of Portland, Oregon-based Columbia Sportswear Company, has been creating innovative apparel, footwear, accessories, and equipment for outdoor enthusiasts since 1938. Columbia has become a leading global brand by channeling the company’s innovative spirit and passion for the outdoors into technologies and performance products that keep people warm, dry, cool and protected year-round. To learn more, please visit the company's website at www.columbia.com.
About Intuitive Machines:
Intuitive Machines is a diversified space exploration, infrastructure, and services company focused on fundamentally disrupting lunar access economics. In 2024, Intuitive Machines successfully landed the Company’s Nova-C class lunar lander, Odysseus, on the Moon, returning the United States to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972. The Company’s products and services are offered through its four in-space business units: Lunar Access Services, Orbital Services, Lunar Data Services, and Space Products and Infrastructure. For more information, please visit intuitivemachines.com.
The top of the IM-2 mission lunar lander is covered with Columbia’s Omni-Shade Sun Deflector fabric to help protect essential batteries and avionics. (Photo: Business Wire)
U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has proposed negotiations after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic as an ongoing crackdown on demonstrators has led to hundreds of deaths.
Trump said late Sunday that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports mount of increasing deaths and the government continues to arrest protesters.
“The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night.
Iran did not acknowledge Trump’s comments immediately. It has previously warned the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has accurately reported on past unrest in Iran, gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran cross checking information. It said at least 544 people have been killed so far, including 496 protesters and 48 people from the security forces. It said more than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests.
With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.
The Latest:
A witness told the AP that the streets of Tehran empty at the sunset call to prayers each night.
Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”
Another text, addressed “Dear parents,” which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.
The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.
—- By Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Iran drew tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators to the streets Monday in a show of power after nationwide protests challenging the country’s theocracy.
Iranian state television showed images of demonstrators thronging Tehran toward Enghelab Square in the capital.
It called the demonstration an “Iranian uprising against American-Zionist terrorism,” without addressing the underlying anger in the country over the nation’s ailing economy. That sparked the protests over two weeks ago.
State television aired images of such demonstrations around the country, trying to signal it had overcome the protests, as claimed by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier in the day.
China says it opposes the use of force in international relations and expressed hope the Iranian government and people are “able to overcome the current difficulties and maintain national stability.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday that Beijing “always opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs, maintains that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned “in the strongest terms the violence that the leadership in Iran is directing against its own people.”
He said it was a sign of weakness rather than strength, adding that “this violence must end.”
Merz said during a visit to India that the demonstrators deserve “the greatest respect” for the courage with which “they are resisting the disproportional, brutal violence of Iranian security forces.”
He said: “I call on the Iranian leadership to protect its population rather than threatening it.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday suggested that a channel remained open with the United States.
Esmail Baghaei made the comment during a news conference in Tehran.
“It is open and whenever needed, through that channel, the necessary messages are exchanged,” he said.
However, Baghaei said such talks needed to be “based on the acceptance of mutual interests and concerns, not a negotiation that is one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation.”
The semiofficial Fars news agency in Iran, which is close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, on Monday began calling out Iranian celebrities and leaders on social media who have expressed support for the protests over the past two weeks, especially before the internet was shut down.
The threat comes as writers and other cultural leaders were targeted even before protests. The news agency highlighted specific celebrities who posted in solidarity with the protesters and scolded them for not condemning vandalism and destruction to public property or the deaths of security forces killed during clashes. The news agency accused those celebrities and leaders of inciting riots by expressing their support.
Canada said it “stands with the brave people of Iran” in a statement on social media that strongly condemned the killing of protesters during widespread protests that have rocked the country over the past two weeks.
“The Iranian regime must halt its horrific repression and intimidation and respect the human rights of its citizens,” Canada’s government said on Monday.
Iran’s foreign minister claimed Monday that “the situation has come under total control” after a bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in the country.
Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim.
Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.
Iran’s foreign minister alleged Monday that nationwide protests in his nation “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene.
Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim, which comes after over 500 have been reported killed by activists -- the vast majority coming from demonstrators.
Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.
Iran has summoned the British ambassador over protesters twice taking down the Iranian flag at their embassy in London.
Iranian state television also said Monday that it complained about “certain terrorist organization that, under the guise of media, spread lies and promote violence and terrorism.” The United Kingdom is home to offices of the BBC’s Persian service and Iran International, both which long have been targeted by Iran.
A huge crowd of demonstrators, some waving the flag of Iran, gathered Sunday afternoon along Veteran Avenue in LA’s Westwood neighborhood to protest against the Iranian government. Police eventually issued a dispersal order, and by early evening only about a hundred protesters were still in the area, ABC7 reported.
Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran.
Los Angeles police responded Sunday after somebody drove a U-Haul box truck down a street crowded with the the demonstrators, causing protesters to scramble out of the way and then run after the speeding vehicle to try to attack the driver. A police statement said one person was hit by the truck but nobody was seriously hurt.
The driver, a man who was not identified, was detained “pending further investigation,” police said in a statement Sunday evening.
Shiite Muslims hold placards and chant slogans during a protest against the U.S. and show solidarity with Iran in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Activists carrying a photograph of Reza Pahlavi take part in a rally supporting protesters in Iran at Lafayette Park, across from the White House, in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Activists take part in a rally supporting protesters in Iran at Lafayette Park, across from the White House in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Protesters burn the Iranian national flag during a rally in support of the nationwide mass demonstrations in Iran against the government in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
