A new generation of space materials have docked at the International Space Station (ISS), where they will undergo testing in the brutal conditions of low Earth orbit. Developed at the University of Bristol, these high-performance materials could be used to build future space bases, spacecraft for interplanetary travel, or a new ISS.
They will be placed on the Bartolomeo platform, located on the front of the ISS, where they will orbit Earth up to 9,000 times over the next 12 to 18 months at speeds of 17,000 mph. The carbon fibre reinforced composites will need to survive temperatures between -150°C and +120°C, space debris travelling seven times faster than a bullet, severe electromagnetic radiation, high vacuum and atomic oxygen.
Prof Ian Hamerton, Professor of Polymers and Sustainable Composites at the University of Bristol's Bristol Composites Institute, said: "Space is the most challenging environment for which to design new materials. The opportunity to test our materials in the proving ground of space is priceless and will help our scientists improve fibre-reinforced materials for next-generation space missions."
There are four laboratory-made polymers being tested on the ISS, each reinforced with carbon fibres, two of which contain nanoparticles. All four are the result of University of Bristol research and one is patented.
Dr. Ali Kandemir, Senior Research Associate at the University of Bristol: "We want materials that are resilient in the space environment and, importantly, materials that can shield humans from that radiation. We also want to make these materials sustainable, so that when they reach the end of their life they can be recycled."
The practical support of the National Composites Centre (NCC), hosted at the University of Bristol, was crucial to the scale-up of the composite materials.
Source: www.bristol.ac.uk
