Space debris is becoming an increasingly urgent issue as the number of satellites and spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) continues to rise. Between 2019 and 2023, SpaceX’s Starlink satellites alone performed more than 50,000 maneuvers to avoid potential collisions. In LEO, objects travel at approximately 8 kilometers per second—faster than a bullet—making even the smallest debris a significant threat to spacecraft.
To address this challenge, researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a new material that could revolutionize spacecraft protection: a self-healing polymer designed to withstand high-speed impacts from space debris. This innovative material, known as a Diels-Alder Polymer (DAP), possesses dynamic covalent bonds that break and reform in response to stress, giving it unique impact-resistance properties.
Continue reading… “Self-Healing Space Polymer Offers New Hope Against Growing Orbital Debris”