home › Materials International Space Station Experiment - 7

Materials International Space Station Experiment - 7

Testing Nanocomposite Materials in Space

2009, November 19 - 10:08am — Greg Kontos
Features: Current EventsCritical Path Innovation: Materials ScienceInstitutions: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NASA, Air Force Research LaboratoryMaterials: nanocomposite materialsProjects: Materials International Space Station Experiment - 7Satellites: International Space Station
MISSE 3 mounted on the ISS (NASA)

There is an experiment happening on the International Space Station called, Materials International Space Station Experiment - 7 (MISSE7). During the experiment several nanocomposite materials are being tested for endurance in the high radiation and extreme temperature ranges of space. The experiment is being led by the US Air Force in conjunction with several US Universities.

Materials Being Tested
According to NASA, there are 'over 700 new and affordable materials' being tested under the auspices of MISSE7. 'Specimens include solar cells and candidate spacecraft materials'. These materials are expected to be useful in the design of 'solar cells, optics, sensors, electronics, power, coatings, structural materials and protection for the next generation of spacecraft'

More specific examples of the materials being tested are :

  • 'Super Teflon' - a highly durable Teflon coating. Fluoride-coated alumina particles have been added to Teflon to create a material that theoretically improves the durability of Teflon by 62,000 times.
  • A tough polymer filled with carbon nanotubes. This material is intended to conduct electricity.

Syndicate content