NASA S VISION FOR SPACE EXPLORATION INCLUDES LONG DURATION HUMAN TRAVEL BEYOND LOW EARTH ORBIT (LEO) AND SU…

Public award description

NASA S VISION FOR SPACE EXPLORATION INCLUDES LONG DURATION HUMAN TRAVEL BEYOND LOW EARTH ORBIT (LEO) AND SUSTAINED HUMAN PRESENCE ON OTHER PLANETARY SURFACES. FOR THIS VISION TO BE A REALITY, ONE OF THE MAJOR CHALLENGES IS TO MINIMIZE RADIATION EXPOSURE TO THE CREW AND EQUIPMENT. A MATERIAL BASED SOLUTION TYPICALLY RESULTS IN PAYING A PENALTY DUE TO ADDITIONAL WEIGHT. DURING THIS EFFORT, A MULTIFUNCTIONAL COMPOSITE IS BEING DEVELOPED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A SPACECRAFT OR HABITAT TO PROVIDE SHIELDING AGAINST GALACTIC COSMIC RAYS (GCRS) AND SECONDARY PARTICLES, ENHANCED STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, AND DURABILITY AGAINST OVERALL SPACE ENVIRONMENT. DURING PHASE 1, INNOVATIVE FABRICATION METHODS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED TO PRODUCE THE RADIATION SHIELDING COMPOSITE. MECHANICAL TESTING SHOWED THAT COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL AEROSPACE ALUMINUM ALLOYS SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENTS IN SPECIFIC STRENGTH AND STIFFNESS WERE OBTAINED. DURING PHASE 2, THE COMPOSITE WILL BE OPTIMIZED AND SAMPLES WILL BE PRODUCED FOR TESTING. A PRIMARY TASK WILL BE TO USE THE MISSE-FF FACILITY TO TEST THE COMPOSITE AGAINST THE COMBINED SPACE ENVIRONMENT. SAMPLES TESTED ON GROUND FOR MECHANICAL AND RADIATION PROPERTIES WILL BE COMPARED TO SAMPLES TESTED ON LEO TO UNAMBIGUOUSLY DEMONSTRATE THE MULTIFUNCTIONALITY OF THE COMPOSITE.