The Idea Factory: The satellite that repairs itself

Aerospace engineers from Montreal are working on developing resilient new materials for futuristic spacecraft

The satellite that repairs itself
(Image credit: NASA via Getty Images)

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.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Sign up
Explore More
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.