Scientists’ next-generation space materials blast off for tests on ISS
A new generation of space materials left Earth this morning as they head to the International Space Station (ISS) to 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 stations, 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 -150ºC and +120ºC, space debris travelling seven times faster than a bullet, severe electromagnetic radiation, high vacuum and atomic oxygen, which erodes even the toughest materials.
