The Idea Factory: The satellite that repairs itself
Aerospace engineers from Montreal are working on developing resilient new materials for futuristic spacecraft

There are more than 100,000 pieces of space debris orbiting Earth. The threat they pose to spacecraft has inspired researchers to focus on developing resilient new space materials capable of self-repair. Aerospace engineers at Concordia University want to build an experimental satellite from a self-healing chemical composite. The satellite will be "constructed out of carbon fiber (to reinforce it) and an epoxy resin (for its matrix)," said Elizabeth Howell at UniverseToday. Whenever its structure is cracked or dinged, a "healing agent" stored in microcapsules will chemically repair the damage.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Scotland bids farewell to giant pandas
Speed Read Animals soon to begin journey back to China as loan agreement comes to an end
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Birds won't be named after humans anymore in an effort to eliminate racist links
Speed Read A number of North American bird species are currently named after historically racist figures
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Cigarette-style warning labels on meat could cut consumption, say scientists
Speed Read The UK's national food strategy aims to cut meat consumption by 30% by 2032
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Young teen wins top science prize for soap that can treat skin cancer
Speed Read Memory of Ethiopian workers out in the sun inspired US schoolboy to make cell-reviving soap
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
The moon is older than we thought
Speed Read New data adds 40 million years to the satellite's age
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
New study suggests hitting the snooze button may be no bad thing
Speed Read People who delay getting up perform better in some cognitive tests, research finds
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Yes, satellites could fall from the sky
Speed Read Debris from thousands of satellites could cause injuries
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Russian lunar spacecraft crashes into the moon
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published