QUESTION:
I hope that some paint companies will take advantage of all this paint
technology on Mars and make it economically available for all of us on
Earth. Paint/color/light frequencies of the electro-magnetic spectrum have a
wonderful psychological effect on humans. The problem is that nature takes
it toll. It seems to me that what you are observing on Mars can be applied
to amateur artists at home.

Are known paint companies participating in the Mars project? Wouldn't
this be a subset of Civil Engineering?

ANSWER from Donna Shirley on August 14, 1997:
These "paint chips" are made from silicon rubber RTV mixed with paint
pigments or minerals for color.

As a general response to the question, I can offer the following:

Paints and coatings are used on space vehicles to protect surfaces from
harsh environments, and for thermal control of components exposed to
unfiltered sun radiation and to cold space.  Mars Pathfinder used existing
thermal coatings and processes for metals and composites.  We also used an
existing white paint called "Flamemaster" for the aft portion of the
aeroshell, applied over the thermal protection material.  These coatings are
highly specialized for space application.  For example, these paints must
have no residual volitile organic compounds (VOCs) which could outgas and
migrate to optical surfaces on spacecraft instruments.  Meeting this
requirement tends to reduce other characteristics desireable in paints, such
adhesion, flexibility, and longevity.  For these reasons, the paints we use
have little or no commercial (earthly) application, and are made in small
quantities, resulting in high cost.  For cost reasons, the Pathfinder
project chose to not do any technology development in the area of paints or
coatings.