Europe may soon be getting a self-healing spacecraft

Imagine a damaged spacecraft that can fix itself—that's exactly what the European Space Agency (ESA) is currently working on. Engineers from Swiss companies CompPair and CSEM and Belgian firm Com&Sens have partnered up with ESA on Project Cassandra (short for Composite Autonomous SenSing AnD RepAir). This tech initiative specifically focuses on building spacecraft structures that are able to detect damage and repair themselves autonomously. The concept is nothing short of a game-changer, as it may allow future spacecraft to be more durable and reusable.

ESA's Project Cassandra specifically targets composite materials like carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers that are used in spacecraft. While these materials are quite strong and durable themselves, they are still prone to structural damage like cracks. These cracks, even if they are small, can worsen over time, and repairs can be both expensive and time-consuming.

This is where the CompPair-developed 'HealTech'—a composite material with the ability to "self-heal"—comes in. When the material is exposed to heat, a healing agent inside it activates and flows into the damaged area to repair it. A prototype of the structure, which has a network of fiber-optic sensors integrated into HealTech's fibers, has already been produced. The fiber-optic sensors look out for signs of strain or damage to the material. If it detects a problem, the repair process is quickly initiated, and HealTech’s healing agent flows into affected areas. To fix a crack or stress point, the integrated heating elements use 3D-printed aluminum grids for heating the composite material to 100–140°C.

But just how well would Project Cassandra fare in the unforgiving conditions of outer space? To address this, the team of engineers produced samples of the material ranging from 2 x 10 cm to 40 x 40 cm panels. The system’s damage detection, heating performance, and self-repair were all tested rigorously. Thermal shock tests were also done to see how the material behaved in extreme temperature conditions, like in a cryogenic tank. The next stage is testing the material on an even larger scale, like in a complete cryo tank.

This technology may prove to be extremely useful for reusable launchers like the ones SpaceX uses to maintain its superlative launch cadence. Moreover, it may also help battle the ever-growing problem of space waste. "Implementing this technology into our systems could have enormous benefits for space transportation," claims ESA's Bernard Decotignie. "It will help develop reusable space infrastructure and reduce mission costs.” Project Cassandra is part of ESA’s Future Innovation Research in Space Transportation (FIRST!) initiative.

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