Photopolymer Fiber Composite Structures in Microgravity

Deployable structures are the future in space manufacturing. A common approach, are the pneumatically actuated deployables, which deploy using the pressure of a fluid and generally impose a low risk during deployment. However, their greater disadvantage is the low stiffness and damage tolerance. In order to solve this problem, AML-Applied Mechanics Laboratory and the AML Space Group researching the idea of deploying pre-impregnated polymer fibers fabrics into space and curing them, thus creating lightweight, high-stiffness, thin-shelled structures in space. This research was focused around the behavior of photopolymer resins in a micro-gravity environment, by participating in the ESA Fly Your Thesis 2017 campaign. In this experiment, uncured glass fiber reinforced polymer tubes stowed before flight, deployed by compressed air and cured during the micro-gravity intervals of the parabolic flights, using a UV light-source. Identical reference specimens were produced on Earth with the same equipment at 1-g gravity acceleration. The goal was to test and compare the mechanical properties and microstructure between these two batches of specimens produced in the two different gravity acceleration levels. Identifying the effect of different gravity levels on the mechanical properties and microstructure of polymeric materials, shall enable better understanding on how such polymers could be used in space manufacturing.