Dear participants and visitors!
We have posted on the official website of Composite Expo and the exhibition's YouTube channel:
🔸 Final video report on the 17th Composite-Expo 2025 exhibition
🔸 Exhibitors video interviews
Booking of stands for Composite-Expo 2026 is actively ongoing!
Let us remind you that next year the exhibition will be held on April 22-24 at the Crocus Expo IEC, Pavilion 3, Hall 13.
We have posted on the official website of Composite Expo and the exhibition's YouTube channel:
🔸 Final video report on the 17th Composite-Expo 2025 exhibition
🔸 Exhibitors video interviews
Booking of stands for Composite-Expo 2026 is actively ongoing!
Let us remind you that next year the exhibition will be held on April 22-24 at the Crocus Expo IEC, Pavilion 3, Hall 13.
Composites
Photo
AM method enables tool-free, energy-efficient thermoset composites production
University researchers highlight how the combination of a thermally curable resin system with photothermal curing eliminates the post-curing steps involved in discontinuous, continuous fiber parts fabrication.
Researchers at Arizona State University (ASU, Mesa, U.S.) and Colorado State University (CSU, Fort Collins, U.S.) have introduced an additive manufacturing (AM) method that enables fabrication of carbon fiber-reinforced thermoset composites without molds, ovens or support structures. By combining a thermally curable resin system with photothermal curing, the approach achieves rapid in situ rigidization of both discontinuous and continuous fiber composites, offering a scalable, energy-efficient alternative to traditional composites processing.
Published in Nature Communications journal, the study highlights how this technique enables fabrication of continuous fiber parts with fiber volume fractions up to 70% and void contents below 1.5%, performance metrics that are reported to rival those of autoclave-cured aerospace components. Unlike conventional methods, which require sustained oven- or autoclave curing and labor-intensive layup on custom tooling, this process cures the thermoset matrix at the point of deposition, eliminating post-curing steps and reducing overall cycle time and energy input.
“We have integrated thermal curing directly into the print path using a compact laser source,” explains Professor Mostafa Yourdkhani, senior author of the study. “This enables us to fabricate structural composite components not just on a substrate, but in free space, without the use of molds or support materials. The result is faster, more flexible manufacturing with drastically lower energy consumption.”
The system leverages a low-power laser diode to generate localized heating via the carbon fiber reinforcement, which serves both as a load-bearing material and a photothermal conversion medium. This targeted energy input cures the thermosresponsive thermoset resin system in under one second, enabling high-speed deposition and curing of structural-grade thermoset composites. Resulting printed parts exhibited optimal mechanical performance, with tensile moduli exceeding 100 GPa and tensile strengths over 1.4 GPa in continuous fiber configurations.
Unlike UV-curable resins, which are limited by low light penetration and often require extensive postprocessing, this thermal curing approach enables complete cross-linking during printing. The thermoset polymer also offers high thermal stability, low shrinkage, strong chemical and moisture resistance, and high impact resistance, properties that are critical for demanding applications in aerospace, automotive, renewable energy and marine sectors.
The research team demonstrated both layer-by-layer and freeform printing strategies, including complex out-of-plane fiber placement and long, unsupported composite spans fabricated using a six-axis robotic arm. These capabilities showcase high geometric flexibility and performance in thermoset composite AM.
With demonstrated compatibility across various reinforcement types, including aramid, glass and carbon fibers, this method is well-positioned for applications such as structural prototyping, composite tooling, on-demand component manufacturing and field-deployable composite repairs.
#composites #ThermosetCompositesProduction #3Dprinting
> source
University researchers highlight how the combination of a thermally curable resin system with photothermal curing eliminates the post-curing steps involved in discontinuous, continuous fiber parts fabrication.
Researchers at Arizona State University (ASU, Mesa, U.S.) and Colorado State University (CSU, Fort Collins, U.S.) have introduced an additive manufacturing (AM) method that enables fabrication of carbon fiber-reinforced thermoset composites without molds, ovens or support structures. By combining a thermally curable resin system with photothermal curing, the approach achieves rapid in situ rigidization of both discontinuous and continuous fiber composites, offering a scalable, energy-efficient alternative to traditional composites processing.
Published in Nature Communications journal, the study highlights how this technique enables fabrication of continuous fiber parts with fiber volume fractions up to 70% and void contents below 1.5%, performance metrics that are reported to rival those of autoclave-cured aerospace components. Unlike conventional methods, which require sustained oven- or autoclave curing and labor-intensive layup on custom tooling, this process cures the thermoset matrix at the point of deposition, eliminating post-curing steps and reducing overall cycle time and energy input.
“We have integrated thermal curing directly into the print path using a compact laser source,” explains Professor Mostafa Yourdkhani, senior author of the study. “This enables us to fabricate structural composite components not just on a substrate, but in free space, without the use of molds or support materials. The result is faster, more flexible manufacturing with drastically lower energy consumption.”
The system leverages a low-power laser diode to generate localized heating via the carbon fiber reinforcement, which serves both as a load-bearing material and a photothermal conversion medium. This targeted energy input cures the thermosresponsive thermoset resin system in under one second, enabling high-speed deposition and curing of structural-grade thermoset composites. Resulting printed parts exhibited optimal mechanical performance, with tensile moduli exceeding 100 GPa and tensile strengths over 1.4 GPa in continuous fiber configurations.
Unlike UV-curable resins, which are limited by low light penetration and often require extensive postprocessing, this thermal curing approach enables complete cross-linking during printing. The thermoset polymer also offers high thermal stability, low shrinkage, strong chemical and moisture resistance, and high impact resistance, properties that are critical for demanding applications in aerospace, automotive, renewable energy and marine sectors.
The research team demonstrated both layer-by-layer and freeform printing strategies, including complex out-of-plane fiber placement and long, unsupported composite spans fabricated using a six-axis robotic arm. These capabilities showcase high geometric flexibility and performance in thermoset composite AM.
With demonstrated compatibility across various reinforcement types, including aramid, glass and carbon fibers, this method is well-positioned for applications such as structural prototyping, composite tooling, on-demand component manufacturing and field-deployable composite repairs.
#composites #ThermosetCompositesProduction #3Dprinting
> source
Composites
Photo
Purdue develops rapid actuator-less deployable drone blade
Launching drones single-handedly on the battlefield is a military competitive advantage, but building a drone to do so is a complex challenge. A Purdue University solution has the wind beneath its wings.
With folded blades, a drone fits in tight places. Picture a cylinder 15 cm (6 in) wide and 1 m (3 ft) long – about the size of 3 paper towel rolls stacked longwise. Imagine a soldier carrying a cannister this size like a backpack, a drone nested inside. When the command comes, the soldier launches the drone, and the blades have 2 seconds to unfold and reconfigure.
However, there is a mission-critical obstacle: the mechanical actuators struggle to power this spontaneous transformation.
Purdue University’s actuator-less deployment drone blade
Purdue University’s Composites Manufacturing and Simulation Center (CMSC) is developing an actuator-less deployment drone blade. The concept has been proven in simulations and static experiments. The next R&D phase begins soon, with testing in a new wind tunnel built expressly for this purpose.
Leading the project is Kawai Kwok, Ph.D., Purdue associate professor, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and leader of Purdue’s Aerospace Structures Design Lab. “The design will be challenging, but if we can change our thinking about static structures for aerospace applications and consider dynamic deployable and reconfigurable structures, there will be many benefits,” he said.
330 million years of actuator-less flights
Purdue’s inspiration comes from earth’s first in flight: the humble insect. Winged insects date back 330 million years to the Carboniferous period – named for underground coal deposits originating then. Now, these prehistoric contemporaries reunite for a carbon-fibre composite breakthrough.
#composites #drone
> source
Launching drones single-handedly on the battlefield is a military competitive advantage, but building a drone to do so is a complex challenge. A Purdue University solution has the wind beneath its wings.
With folded blades, a drone fits in tight places. Picture a cylinder 15 cm (6 in) wide and 1 m (3 ft) long – about the size of 3 paper towel rolls stacked longwise. Imagine a soldier carrying a cannister this size like a backpack, a drone nested inside. When the command comes, the soldier launches the drone, and the blades have 2 seconds to unfold and reconfigure.
However, there is a mission-critical obstacle: the mechanical actuators struggle to power this spontaneous transformation.
Purdue University’s actuator-less deployment drone blade
Purdue University’s Composites Manufacturing and Simulation Center (CMSC) is developing an actuator-less deployment drone blade. The concept has been proven in simulations and static experiments. The next R&D phase begins soon, with testing in a new wind tunnel built expressly for this purpose.
Leading the project is Kawai Kwok, Ph.D., Purdue associate professor, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and leader of Purdue’s Aerospace Structures Design Lab. “The design will be challenging, but if we can change our thinking about static structures for aerospace applications and consider dynamic deployable and reconfigurable structures, there will be many benefits,” he said.
330 million years of actuator-less flights
Purdue’s inspiration comes from earth’s first in flight: the humble insect. Winged insects date back 330 million years to the Carboniferous period – named for underground coal deposits originating then. Now, these prehistoric contemporaries reunite for a carbon-fibre composite breakthrough.
#composites #drone
> source
Composites
Photo
BrainDrip scales up composite technology to meet current, future energy infrastructure needs
Next-generation composite pipe development with embedded, AI-enhanced health monitoring will modernize new and aging pipelines globally.
On June 30, BrainDrip LLC’s (Jacksonville, Fla., U.S.) BD Composites division kicked off a Series A funding drive to scale up production of its patent-pending composite pipe system and on-site mobile factory. The financing will enable BD Composites to produce new mobile factories, finalize development and regulatory testing, and expand operations, both nationally and internationally.
Aging steel pipeline infrastructure, increased demand and evolving service requirements underscore the limitations of traditional networks. More than 50% of U.S. natural gas pipelines are at least 30 years old, and a majority of these need to be renewed or replaced. Energy providers around the world are increasing gas production or transition to hydrogen, but currently steel and other composite pipelines cannot meet the design requirements of hydrogen transport and offer no real-time insight into operational data or structural health.
Conventional reinforced thermoplastic pipes (RTPs) resist corrosion, but they are typically constrained to diameters under 12 inches, pressure ratings under 150 bar and off-site fabrication. They must also be transported to the site in segments or spools, which notably increases transportation costs and emissions, creating a much larger environmental footprint. These are just some of the challenges driving energy suppliers to seek a new and better option.
BD Composites’ novel system addresses supplier needs by offering diameters from 6 inches up to 36 inches and pressure ratings exceeding 350 bar with continuous field-manufactured lengths of up to 10 miles. Each composite pipeline also contains an integrated fiber optic network for health and risk monitoring that leverages AI to assess and report pressure, flow, temperature, strain, seismic disturbance and other integrity metrics to the control room every few seconds.
Complementing this innovation is the mobile factory that creates the composite pipelines. It is contained inside a customized 53-foot ISO container that can be transported to the site by trailer via road, rail, sea or air and is operational in less than 8 hours after offloading. This compact, self-contained and fully automated manufacturing plant enables real-time quality assurance and quality control. It also features installation rates nine times faster and 70% less costly compared with steel pipes.
An independent study by Gemserv confirms that BD Composites pipeline solution produces over three times larger diameters and roughly two-and-a-half times higher pressure capacities than other composite pipes. The study also determined that its composite pipe reduces carbon emissions from material production alone by 75%. Its on-site based manufacturing minimizes right of way disturbance, site footprint and logistical complexity, enabling operators to expedite project schedules and comply with environmental regulations.
“By combining our novel and highly advanced composite materials with embedded AI enhanced monitoring networks, our team is redefining pipeline safety, risk and design life in pipeline renewal, conversion and greenfield installations,” explains Kent Weisenberg, founder/CEO of BrainDrip. “BD Composites offers a true disruptor with a composite system future-proofed for energies such as H2 and CO2 and intrinsically validated for natural gas and other media. Our compact, mobile factory lets us manufacture this innovation directly in the field, allowing for ‘no dig’ installations, notably reduced emissions and on-site customization. By eliminating welded or coupled joints, our customers will receive miles of uninterrupted pipeline installation and unspoiled environment.”
Next-generation composite pipe development with embedded, AI-enhanced health monitoring will modernize new and aging pipelines globally.
On June 30, BrainDrip LLC’s (Jacksonville, Fla., U.S.) BD Composites division kicked off a Series A funding drive to scale up production of its patent-pending composite pipe system and on-site mobile factory. The financing will enable BD Composites to produce new mobile factories, finalize development and regulatory testing, and expand operations, both nationally and internationally.
Aging steel pipeline infrastructure, increased demand and evolving service requirements underscore the limitations of traditional networks. More than 50% of U.S. natural gas pipelines are at least 30 years old, and a majority of these need to be renewed or replaced. Energy providers around the world are increasing gas production or transition to hydrogen, but currently steel and other composite pipelines cannot meet the design requirements of hydrogen transport and offer no real-time insight into operational data or structural health.
Conventional reinforced thermoplastic pipes (RTPs) resist corrosion, but they are typically constrained to diameters under 12 inches, pressure ratings under 150 bar and off-site fabrication. They must also be transported to the site in segments or spools, which notably increases transportation costs and emissions, creating a much larger environmental footprint. These are just some of the challenges driving energy suppliers to seek a new and better option.
BD Composites’ novel system addresses supplier needs by offering diameters from 6 inches up to 36 inches and pressure ratings exceeding 350 bar with continuous field-manufactured lengths of up to 10 miles. Each composite pipeline also contains an integrated fiber optic network for health and risk monitoring that leverages AI to assess and report pressure, flow, temperature, strain, seismic disturbance and other integrity metrics to the control room every few seconds.
Complementing this innovation is the mobile factory that creates the composite pipelines. It is contained inside a customized 53-foot ISO container that can be transported to the site by trailer via road, rail, sea or air and is operational in less than 8 hours after offloading. This compact, self-contained and fully automated manufacturing plant enables real-time quality assurance and quality control. It also features installation rates nine times faster and 70% less costly compared with steel pipes.
An independent study by Gemserv confirms that BD Composites pipeline solution produces over three times larger diameters and roughly two-and-a-half times higher pressure capacities than other composite pipes. The study also determined that its composite pipe reduces carbon emissions from material production alone by 75%. Its on-site based manufacturing minimizes right of way disturbance, site footprint and logistical complexity, enabling operators to expedite project schedules and comply with environmental regulations.
“By combining our novel and highly advanced composite materials with embedded AI enhanced monitoring networks, our team is redefining pipeline safety, risk and design life in pipeline renewal, conversion and greenfield installations,” explains Kent Weisenberg, founder/CEO of BrainDrip. “BD Composites offers a true disruptor with a composite system future-proofed for energies such as H2 and CO2 and intrinsically validated for natural gas and other media. Our compact, mobile factory lets us manufacture this innovation directly in the field, allowing for ‘no dig’ installations, notably reduced emissions and on-site customization. By eliminating welded or coupled joints, our customers will receive miles of uninterrupted pipeline installation and unspoiled environment.”
Composites
Photo
Field validation underscores the promise of this approach. BD Composites completed a 1.3-mile demonstration on a buried pipeline asset in late 2023 for its anchor investor and customer, a Fortune 200 energy company. The company transitioned this directly into a future 30-plus mile pipeline renewal project. Continued interest in BD Composites’ systems from government agencies as well as other major players in the oil, gas and low-carbon fuel industries demonstrates market confidence in this future-proofed solution.
#composites #pipes #pipelines
> source
#composites #pipes #pipelines
> source
Composites
Photo
International Moon Day: are composites shaping the future of lunar exploration?
As humanity reaffirms its ambition to return to and sustainably inhabit the Moon, materials science is stepping into the spotlight. Among the enablers of this renewed lunar momentum are composite materials—lightweight, durable and versatile solutions that respond to the extreme demands of space environments. This selection of articles highlights how composites are transforming our approach to lunar missions. From European-built rovers and responsive orbital platforms to reconfigurable infrastructure and expandable habitats, composites are proving critical at every stage. Moreover, the emergence of in-situ resource utilisation, such as basalt fibres derived from lunar rock, signals a future where lunar structures could be built using local materials, drastically reducing mission costs. These developments demonstrate that the future of lunar exploration won’t be shaped solely by rockets or robotics but also by the materials that enable us to go further, stay longer and build smarter.
Composites in vehicles to explore the moon
Venturi Space presents Mona Luna, the European lunar rover
Venturi Space unveils Mona Luna, its 100% European-built lunar rover. Designed to support the ambitions of ESA and the French CNES, the vehicle will be built at Venturi Space France’s facility in Toulouse. The ultimate aim is to provide Europe with a lunar-capable rover by 2030. The European Space Agency is supporting Venturi Space’s efforts to design and develop the critical technologies required for a large lunar rover, capable of surviving multiple lunar nights. ESA’s support validates Venturi Space’s approach and highlights its expertise. The project will draw on the experience acquired from the programmes to develop the Flio and Flex rovers under a strategic partnership with US-based company Venturi Astrolab, Inc. Venturi Space is currently designing and building the hyper-deformable wheels that will be fitted to those vehicles, along with the associated electrical systems (in Switzerland) and high-performance batteries (in Monaco). The peripheral layers of the wheels include metallic materials, hyper-elastic polymers and composites. The latter are made up of proprietary thermosetting resins and a combination of hundreds of millions of reinforcing fibres.
US Defense chooses Firefly Aerospace for responsive space mission
Firefly Aerospace, leader in end-to-end responsive space services, announced it was awarded a contract to perform a responsive on-orbit mission with its Elytra spacecraft in support of the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Sinequone Project. During the mission, Elytra will serve as a space manoeuvre vehicle to perform a series of responsive on-orbit tasks, including space domain awareness operations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The mission is set to launch as early as 2027. As part of the mission, Elytra will host a suite of government payloads, including optical, visible and infrared cameras, a responsive navigation unit and a universal electrical bus with a payload interface module. Firefly’s Elytra Dawn configuration will utilise common components from the company’s launch vehicles and lunar landers, including the avionics, composite structures and propulsion systems, to enable on-demand mobility, plane changes and manoeuvres with high delta-V capabilities and reliability. Elytra’s main engine, called Spectre, was recently flight-proven on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander as the reaction control system thrusters that successfully performed Firefly’s final descent on the Moon in March.
Composites used on or around the moon
AnalySwift receives NASA STTR contract to transform spacecraft infrastructure for secondary uses during long-duration missions
As humanity reaffirms its ambition to return to and sustainably inhabit the Moon, materials science is stepping into the spotlight. Among the enablers of this renewed lunar momentum are composite materials—lightweight, durable and versatile solutions that respond to the extreme demands of space environments. This selection of articles highlights how composites are transforming our approach to lunar missions. From European-built rovers and responsive orbital platforms to reconfigurable infrastructure and expandable habitats, composites are proving critical at every stage. Moreover, the emergence of in-situ resource utilisation, such as basalt fibres derived from lunar rock, signals a future where lunar structures could be built using local materials, drastically reducing mission costs. These developments demonstrate that the future of lunar exploration won’t be shaped solely by rockets or robotics but also by the materials that enable us to go further, stay longer and build smarter.
Composites in vehicles to explore the moon
Venturi Space presents Mona Luna, the European lunar rover
Venturi Space unveils Mona Luna, its 100% European-built lunar rover. Designed to support the ambitions of ESA and the French CNES, the vehicle will be built at Venturi Space France’s facility in Toulouse. The ultimate aim is to provide Europe with a lunar-capable rover by 2030. The European Space Agency is supporting Venturi Space’s efforts to design and develop the critical technologies required for a large lunar rover, capable of surviving multiple lunar nights. ESA’s support validates Venturi Space’s approach and highlights its expertise. The project will draw on the experience acquired from the programmes to develop the Flio and Flex rovers under a strategic partnership with US-based company Venturi Astrolab, Inc. Venturi Space is currently designing and building the hyper-deformable wheels that will be fitted to those vehicles, along with the associated electrical systems (in Switzerland) and high-performance batteries (in Monaco). The peripheral layers of the wheels include metallic materials, hyper-elastic polymers and composites. The latter are made up of proprietary thermosetting resins and a combination of hundreds of millions of reinforcing fibres.
US Defense chooses Firefly Aerospace for responsive space mission
Firefly Aerospace, leader in end-to-end responsive space services, announced it was awarded a contract to perform a responsive on-orbit mission with its Elytra spacecraft in support of the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Sinequone Project. During the mission, Elytra will serve as a space manoeuvre vehicle to perform a series of responsive on-orbit tasks, including space domain awareness operations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The mission is set to launch as early as 2027. As part of the mission, Elytra will host a suite of government payloads, including optical, visible and infrared cameras, a responsive navigation unit and a universal electrical bus with a payload interface module. Firefly’s Elytra Dawn configuration will utilise common components from the company’s launch vehicles and lunar landers, including the avionics, composite structures and propulsion systems, to enable on-demand mobility, plane changes and manoeuvres with high delta-V capabilities and reliability. Elytra’s main engine, called Spectre, was recently flight-proven on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander as the reaction control system thrusters that successfully performed Firefly’s final descent on the Moon in March.
Composites used on or around the moon
AnalySwift receives NASA STTR contract to transform spacecraft infrastructure for secondary uses during long-duration missions
Composites
Photo
AnalySwift LLC, a Purdue University-affiliated company, has received a Phase I STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) contract from NASA worth $156,424. Allan Wood, AnalySwift president and CEO, said the contract will fund two advancements: processes and hardware to disassemble spacecraft components and reassemble them for a secondary use, and software for multiphysics simulation and analysis of the involved thermoplastics. Kawai Kwok, associate professor in Purdue’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is the principal investigator. Wood said long-duration crewed missions to the moon, Mars and beyond require infrastructure, such as trusses, to be constructed sustainably on these surfaces. But there are immense logistical challenges in transporting heavy and large payloads to space. “The AnalySwift project proposes a novel method of disassembling and reassembling thermoplastic composite joints in space,” he said. “Our proposed method enables reconfiguration of truss structures in space, transitioning away from the current one-time use model to a scalable and sustainable approach.” Kwok said spacecraft components could be quickly and easily repurposed into vastly different geometries. “For example, a lunar lander support truss could become a vertical solar array support truss,” he said. “There are other applications, depending on mission needs using the same set of structural elements and innovative multiphysics modelling.”
Max Space utilises Aluula material for space habitat construction
Private space company Max Space premiered their expandable space habitat at the 39th Space Symposium on 9 April 9 2024, citing its use of material from Aluula Composites to reinforce the structure. The habitat is slated to launch with Space X in 2026 and, according to Max Space, is currently able to orbit the moon and ultimately Mars. Max Space plans to create a family of scalable habitats in varying sizes by 2030, potentially creating stadium-sized expandable structures. “Unless we make usable space in space a lot less expensive and much larger, humanity’s future in space will remain limited,” said Max Space co-founder Aaron Kemmer. Aluula’s lightweight material is used as part of a custom laminate that adds strength and durability to the structural elements of the habitat, making it possible to create a large living and working area at a fraction of the weight and transport costs of traditional crew modules. “The laminate used in the habitat has an incredible strength-to-weight ratio with a combination of high resistance polymers, which is ideal for use in applications where weight and safety is critical, like space travel,” said Aluula’s Chief Innovation Officer Richard Myerscough.
Composites made with lunar material
Basalt material could be used to build China’s lunar research base
Sometimes described as “the green industrial material of the 21st century”, basalt fibre sees its potential applications growing in composite materials. Research is still needed to achieve mass production, and China is showing its determination in this direction.
As a sign of China’s presence on the far side of the moon, the Chang’e-6 lunar probe unfurled a Chinese national flag on June 2024 during its sampling mission. The flag was woven from basalt fibre. “We crushed and melted the rocks in order to pull them into thin threads with a diameter about 1/3 that of a hair,” said Professor Zhou Changyi of the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The material could also be used to build China’s lunar research base in the future, Zhou Changyi said to the Chinese media, as the moon has an abundance of this type of rock. “Basalt fibre is lightweight, strong, corrosion-resistant and environmentally friendly with a low carbon footprint. It can withstand temperatures ranging from -269 to 700°C, which further highlights its unique value,” said Liu Jiaqi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and former director of the CAS Institute of Geology and Geophysics. According to Liu, basalt rocks are abundant in China.
Max Space utilises Aluula material for space habitat construction
Private space company Max Space premiered their expandable space habitat at the 39th Space Symposium on 9 April 9 2024, citing its use of material from Aluula Composites to reinforce the structure. The habitat is slated to launch with Space X in 2026 and, according to Max Space, is currently able to orbit the moon and ultimately Mars. Max Space plans to create a family of scalable habitats in varying sizes by 2030, potentially creating stadium-sized expandable structures. “Unless we make usable space in space a lot less expensive and much larger, humanity’s future in space will remain limited,” said Max Space co-founder Aaron Kemmer. Aluula’s lightweight material is used as part of a custom laminate that adds strength and durability to the structural elements of the habitat, making it possible to create a large living and working area at a fraction of the weight and transport costs of traditional crew modules. “The laminate used in the habitat has an incredible strength-to-weight ratio with a combination of high resistance polymers, which is ideal for use in applications where weight and safety is critical, like space travel,” said Aluula’s Chief Innovation Officer Richard Myerscough.
Composites made with lunar material
Basalt material could be used to build China’s lunar research base
Sometimes described as “the green industrial material of the 21st century”, basalt fibre sees its potential applications growing in composite materials. Research is still needed to achieve mass production, and China is showing its determination in this direction.
As a sign of China’s presence on the far side of the moon, the Chang’e-6 lunar probe unfurled a Chinese national flag on June 2024 during its sampling mission. The flag was woven from basalt fibre. “We crushed and melted the rocks in order to pull them into thin threads with a diameter about 1/3 that of a hair,” said Professor Zhou Changyi of the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The material could also be used to build China’s lunar research base in the future, Zhou Changyi said to the Chinese media, as the moon has an abundance of this type of rock. “Basalt fibre is lightweight, strong, corrosion-resistant and environmentally friendly with a low carbon footprint. It can withstand temperatures ranging from -269 to 700°C, which further highlights its unique value,” said Liu Jiaqi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and former director of the CAS Institute of Geology and Geophysics. According to Liu, basalt rocks are abundant in China.