TAS::80 0121::TAS NANOSONIC HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT SHAPE MEMORY METAL RUBBERTM (SM-MR) ADAPTIVE SKINS EXHIBI…

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TAS::80 0121::TAS NANOSONIC HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT SHAPE MEMORY METAL RUBBERTM (SM-MR) ADAPTIVE SKINS EXHIBIT RECONFIGURABLE AND DURABLE RF PROPERTIES. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT SUCH MORPHING SKINS SHALL ALSO EXHIBIT DURABLE RADIATION RESISTANCE UPON MORPHING; A PROPERTY THAT FEW, IF ANY, FLEXIBLE MATERIALS OFFER. TYPICAL HIGHLY FILLED OR METAL EVAPORATED NANOCOMPOSITES CRACK AND SPALL UPON FLEXATION, AND CANNOT BE REPEATEDLY MECHANICALLY STRETCHED WITHOUT RUPTURE AFTER A FEW CYCLIC STRAINS. SM-MR NANOSTRUCTURED MORPHING MATERIALS ARE BASED ON SELF-ASSEMBLED HIGH Z, DENSE, AU AND AG NANOPARTICLES, RATHER THAN PB. OUR MANUFACTURING PROCESS YIELDS TOUGH SKINS THAT CAN BE REPEATEDLY AND SEVERELY MECHANICALLY MORPHED WITHOUT LOSS OF EMI SHIELDING (-88DB). NANOSONIC, TOGETHER WITH COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY, HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT SM-MR IS UP TO 50% LIGHTER IN WEIGHT AND PROVIDES GREATER GAMMA RAY ATTENUATION RELATIVE TO COMMERCIAL OFF-THE-SHELF SHIELDING MATERIALS, WITHOUT EMITTING HARMFUL SECONDARY RADIATION UNDER A 137CS SOURCE. DURING PHASE I, RADIATION SHIELDING WOULD BE VERIFIED FOR SM-MR DURING POTENTIAL DISPARATE SPACE ARRAY MORPHED CONFIGURATIONS TO DEMONSTRATE DURABILITY, STOWABILITY, AND RECONFIGURABILITY FOR SPACE TOLERANT STRUCTURES WITH SELF-HEALING PROPERTIES TO REACH TRL6. TRL8 AND 9 SHALL BE REACHED DURING PHASE II AND III WITH ASSISTANCE FROM OUR SPACE SYSTEMS PRIME PARTNER UPON FLIGHT TESTING AND INTEGRATION.