Self-repairing composite walls for pressurized space habitats

Carolyn Dry

doi:10.1117/12.2218553

22 June 2016 Self-repairing composite walls for pressurized space habitats

Carolyn Dry

Proceedings Volume 9801, Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies 2016; 98010E (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2218553
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2016, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Abstract

A most important factor for human occupied habitats in space is to ensure that the pressurized habitat does not lose pressure catastrophically by the penetration of space debris or micrometeorites through the wall and into the pressurized space. Regenerative self repairing composites used for the space station habitat to prevent loss of pressure was demonstrated in tests The wall sample had ambient pressurized on one side with vacuum on the other, then was punctured all the way through; the pressure reading went from -26 inches of mercury to -26 inches and stayed there indefinitely. There was no loss of pressure! This will be a game changer for space habitat design. This represents a proposed test bed experimental effort on the International Space Station for self repairing regenerative walls of pressurized habitats, supported by significant puncture over vacuum and puncture testing performed to date, which will provide NASA with an innovative new light weight multi-hit superior Astronaut Protective Wall solution for pressurized space habitats.

Citation Download Citation

Carolyn Dry "Self-repairing composite walls for pressurized space habitats", Proc. SPIE 9801, Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies 2016, 98010E (22 June 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2218553

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