海角社区

In a bold step toward supporting sustainable human presence on the Moon and future exploration of Mars, a team of Louisiana-based researchers is developing next-generation manufacturing methods to assemble and repair space structures using ultrasonic welding (USW) of multi-material composites.

The collaborative project, led by 海角社区 Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor Genevieve Palardy in partnership with Louisiana Tech University (La. Tech) and Southern University and A&M College (SUBR), aims to create lightweight, durable, and reconfigurable space components using a fusion of cutting-edge materials like thermoplastic composites and vitrimers, and high-speed ultrasonic welding techniques.

This NASA-funded research aligns directly with the 2022 NASA Strategic Plan and supports mission-critical goals under the agency鈥檚 Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and Science Mission Directorate (SMD). By advancing in-space manufacturing and repair, the team鈥檚 work could lead to major cost savings and new design paradigms for launch vehicles, orbital habitats, lunar towers, and more.

鈥淥ur work is focused on making space structures more modular, repairable, and sustainable,鈥� said Palardy, the project lead and expert in thermoplastic composites manufacturing. 鈥淯ltrasonic welding offers a fast, clean, and scalable way to assemble composite structures in space environments where traditional joining methods fall short.鈥�

Weight is a critical constraint in space missions. Polymer composites, especially thermoplastics, are significantly lighter and more durable than traditional metals, with weight reductions of up to 35% and cost savings of nearly 50%. However, these materials come with challenges, particularly in joining and repair.

"We are building a foundation for sustainable infrastructure in space. The ability to repair, reconfigure, and even recycle structures could define the next era of human space exploration."

Genevieve Palardy, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

The project introduces vitrimers, a new class of self-healing, heat-reformable polymers that combine the structural stability of thermosets with the reprocessability of thermoplastics. By combining these materials with ultrasonic welding, the team envisions a future where space components can be assembled, disassembled, and even recycled on-site.

The ultrasonic welding process, which takes less than 10 seconds per joint, promises significant reductions in manufacturing time and complexity, especially for dissimilar material joints. This capability is vital in the resource-constrained environments of the Moon or Mars, where bringing spare parts from Earth is expensive and impractical.

The project spans computational modeling, material formulation, machine learning, and hands-on experimental validation. Researchers bring specialized expertise in areas such as self-healing vitrimer chemistry (海角社区 ME Professor Guoqiang Li); polymer simulation and physics (Andrew Peters, LaTech; Collin Wick, LaTech); and machine learning for materials design (Cheng Yan, SUBR).

By combining these disciplines, the team will explore how joint strength can be optimized through tailored material interfaces and welding parameters.

NASA鈥檚 Artemis program and the upcoming Artemis Base Camp at the lunar South Pole are prime candidates for this technology. The agency envisions 50-meter-tall lunar towers to capture solar energy for lunar bases鈥攕tructures that could benefit directly from modular, lightweight, and easily assembled composite parts.

This research also ties into recent NASA initiatives, including Thermoplastic Development for Exploration Applications (TDEA), Cryotank Technology for Exploration Applications (CTEA), and Hi-Rate Composite Aircraft Manufacturing (HiCAM).

NASA centers such as Glenn, Langley, Marshall, and Goddard are actively pursuing innovations in sustainable composite materials and joining technologies. The outcomes of this project are expected to influence not only space exploration but also green aviation and commercial aerospace applications on Earth.

鈥淲e are building a foundation for sustainable infrastructure in space,鈥� Palardy said. 鈥淭he ability to repair, reconfigure, and even recycle structures could define the next era of human space exploration.鈥�