Novel Composites for Lightweighting in Deep Space Applications

The evolution of carbon nanotube composites, as inspired by the Materials Genome Initiative, unlocks new potential for materials sustainability in challenging deep space applications. This article describes research and development work at the Institute for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design (US-COMP), a NASA Space Technology Research Institute consortium. US-COMP has developed a novel composite material with mechanical properties per unit mass that exceed state-of-the-art structural composites.