NON-AUTOCLAVE MATERIALS FOR LARGE COMPOSITE STRUCTURES

The objective of this SBIR program is to develop the technology to fabricate large, lightweight composite structures for reusable launch vehicle applications. Such launch vehicles will deploy defense assets in space. Critical Defense assets include space components of the National Missile Defense System and the Theater Missile Defense System. Launch vehicles for the Space-Based Infrared System will include Titan vehicles as well as the Air Force Space Operations Vehicle (SOV). Composite structures on the SOV will be too large to cure inside existing autoclaves. Electron beam processing is an extremely competitive approach for low cost, out-of-autoclave composite curing and bonding. However, additional development of EB-cured materials is required to meet SOV mechanical and thermal design specifications. Science Research Laboratory, the University of Dayton and Drexel University will develop and test EB-cured resins and composites at ambient and at cryogenic temperatures. The goal is to meet or exceed the properties of baseline Cytec Fiberite 977-2, used by AFRL in developing materials for the SOV. The materials and processes developed are also applicable to rigidization of large inflatable composite structures using ionizing radiation in space.