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Questions tagged [materials]

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Questions pertaining to materials used for construction of space-worthy objects.

184 questions
Newest Active Bountied Unanswered
3 votes
1 answer
105 views

I am developing a ram-facing impact-sensing panel for a 2U CubeSat (≈100 × 200 mm exposed area) intended to detect and localize sub-mm to mm orbital debris / micrometeoroids in LEO (400–500 km). The ...
Thomas Walling's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
497 views

I’m a student currently working on my thesis about the application of second surface mirrors (optical solar reflectors, OSRs) in spacecraft thermal control systems, particularly for high-power GEO ...
L.A A's user avatar
  • 71
0 votes
0 answers
56 views

Wikipedia's Cermet begins: A cermet is a composite material composed of ceramic and metal materials. A cermet can combine attractive properties of both a ceramic, such as high temperature resistance ...
user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
5k views

The BBC's May 10, 2025 Soviet-era spacecraft 'likely' to have re-entered Earth's atmosphere there is a file photo of what is reportedly some Soviet probe bound for Venus but not Kosmos 482. The lower &...
user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
101 views

I recently had a fascinating conversation with a student about to graduate with a master's in microbiology. He shared that he’s lined up a job where he'll work on developing "hard structures"...
Twicks's user avatar
  • 246
3 votes
1 answer
346 views

Watching and listening to this amazing footage of the Varda capsule's atmospheric re-entry, what is the nature and role of the material used on the parts not subjected to the high temperatures of ...
user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
384 views

Keeping in mind the necessary characteristics of an interstellar ark traveling upwards of 1/10 the speed of light (functioning biosphere with water and atmospheric cycles, some sort of nuclear ...
C. Burns's user avatar
  • 159
5 votes
0 answers
201 views

I'm looking for what specific aluminum alloys are used for human-rated spacecraft pressure vessels (habitable module) and why. I've been able to find the material for Orion is Al-2219 but nothing for ...
Retsied's user avatar
  • 151
2 votes
1 answer
180 views

Why did NASA use TiN coating for Perseverance's drill instead of coatings like TiAlN, AlTiN, TiAlCrN? I'm aware of the point of the TiN coating in terms of contamination, but it's a broad topic. ...
Mikołaj's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
2 answers
572 views

I am writing a report on CubeSat construction, and while reading Cal Poly's CDS I encountered the concept of ascent venting (or more specifically, the constraint that 'ascent venting per ventable ...
moooligan's user avatar
  • 45
-4 votes
2 answers
302 views

I cant seem to understand how do get valves, tubes , bearings, o-rings or sensors for their rockets do they make them? Or from where do they get those?
Guest12345's user avatar
  • 11
10 votes
1 answer
909 views

For example, the silver material on the Soyuz capsule Or the white wrapping on Canadarm and other robotic modules on the ISS My best guess is that it's beta cloth, used for fireproofing spacesuits, ...
Liam Dwyer's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
121 views

Under the most advanced design of the SE, what are the values of the (tensile) strength and other qualities of the materials needed? What are those of the best materials we have in our hands now?
longtry's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
129 views

The goal of a McKendree cylinder is to achieve a larger radius than an O'Neill cylinder by using suitable very strong carbon allotropes instead of steel. The most obvious way to do this is to build a ...
J.G.'s user avatar
  • 275
3 votes
1 answer
145 views

A quick recap for photon sails: Photon sails are conceptual spacecraft propulsion systems that would generate thrust from radiation pressure. Types of photon sails include solar sails, laser sails and ...
Vegetable New Man's user avatar
  • 131

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