As we enter a new age in which we ‘exploit’ as well as explore space the focus of space agencies in collaboration with the private sector is to seek to establish more permanent habitable structures in space extending beyond low earth orbit (of the International Space Station, ISS) to orbiting platforms around the moon and establishing structures on the moon (and later on Mars). This next generation of humanity’s interaction with the ‘space environment’ is featured in all space agency mission statements with strategies for embarking on this new age defined over next 10 to 20 years.
The scientific and technological advantages of being able to perform experiments in space environment are becoming clear with the opportunities for fabricating new materials and new drugs having been revealed. However, in order to establish facilities for conducting such work it is necessary to build structures that are able to withstand the harsh environmental conditions of space (e.g. ultrahigh vacuum, a wide range of temperatures (often with dramatic fluctuations); cosmic radiation and impacts (e.g. by micrometeorites)). Accordingly research is beginning to explore the properties of materials that may be used to construct space borne structure and in particular on the moon.
In this project materials identified as practical materials for use under space conditions will be subject to a variety of space environments:
- Rapid and repetitive heating and cooling cycles.
- Irradiation by different types of cosmic radiation
- Impact by micrometeorite bombardment
Particular attention will be given to study of in-situ resources for example regolith that can fashioned into ‘brick’ like material and materials (or composites) that may be used for identified purposes on lunar/Martian stations e.g. to extract water and oxygen from the regolith.
This project will involve experiments at both National and international research facilities as well as design and development of new experimental chambers that simulate space environment.
For more information contact Professor Nigel Mason.