SPACE

High-temperature composite 3D printing facilitates design, manufacture of deployable space structures

Opterus R&D employs an AON3D printer and OOA prepregs to build the tooling, prototypes and end-use versions of its foldable CFRP satellite structures.

Hannah Mason
Technical Editor, CompositesWorld

Aerospace

Rock West Composites expands space-grade Strato product line

Rock West Composites is expanding its space-grade Strato product line, including products appropriate for geosynchronous equatorial orbit and deep space applications.

Urban Air Mobility

FACC reports growth due to short- and medium-haul aircraft, potential expansions

Citing a 22% increase in revenue, FACC plans to expand its workforce and Plant 6 in Croatia as it pursues continued growth in civil aviation, UAM and space sectors.

Carbon Fibers

Markforged highlights Sidus Space 3D-printed composite satellite

The two partners have spent the last four years working on LizzieSat, a partially 3D-printed satellite that is set to launch on the SpaceX Transporter-9 rocket in 2023.

Aerospace

RUAG International reports positive business growth in 2022

Annual financial results describe full order books, three successfully sold business units and an increase in revenue, largely due to the New Space economy, signaling a positive outlook for 2023 and beyond.

NASA selects Firefly Aerospace for lunar surface payloads

Two agency payloads are targeted to launch in 2026 to a landing site on the far side of the moon to gain a better understanding of the early evolution of the universe.

Defense

Collins Aerospace inaugurates Powered by Collins Initiative

Fostered technology development in collaboration with deep tech firms to advance technologies for UAS, composites recycling, batteries and space mobility.

Resins

High glass transition temperature, 100% bio-based thermoset resins for space composites

With the European Commission Restrictions Roadmap soon banning entire classes of chemical substances found in fossil fuel-based synthetic polymers, the space industry is looking to a chemical combination to produce competitive thermoset resins.

Stewart Mitchell
Contributing Writer

Additive Manufacturing

Windform LX 3.0 composites contribute to OreSat0 CubeSat deployment

Portland State Aerospace Society, incorporating CRP Technology’s GFRP composite materials and SLS 3D printing, sent its CubeSat nanosatellite into low Earth orbit in 2021, where it continues to operate successfully.

Automotive

On the radar: Cryogenic testing of composites for future hydrogen storage

Netherlands, U.K., France, Germany and the U.S. build up test capability, look at thermoset and thermoplastic composite materials.

Testing

HyImpulse, Adamant Composites linerless CFRP tank passes hydrostatic burst test

The liquid oxygen (LOX) tank, to be used in a HyImpulse smallsat launch vehicle, demonstrates the ability to withstand pressures well beyond the limits of its intended use.

Carbon Fibers

Toray supplies Torayca carbon fiber, prepreg for H3 launch vehicle

Set to launch Feb. 15, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency rocket has been designed with a composite motor case and payload fairing section.

Carbon Fibers

Airbus ESM integration underway for future Artemis moon missions

More than 22,000 elements are begin integrated in parallel in Airbus’ Bremen cleanrooms for ESMs 3, 4 and 5, mission-critical structures for the Orion spacecraft.

Mass Transit

LIST opens innovation center focusing on sustainable composite materials

The Sustainable Composite Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Centre (SCMM) will be supported by major players in rail, aerospace, automotive and space to transition sustainable composites research to commercialization.

ATL/AFP

CFRTP upper stage propellant tank

PROCOMP uses in-situ consolidation AFP and ultrasonic welding to demonstrate lightweight, novel tank design.

Ginger Gardiner
Senior Technical Editor, CompositesWorld

Carbon Fibers

ESA approves Windform RS, LX 3.0 for space flight applications

CRP Technology’s Top-Line composite materials Windform RS and Windform LX 3.0 are compliant with outgassing requirements in accordance with ESA-TEC-PR-002015.

Filament Winding

Impulse Space to launch first orbital service vehicle in 2023 using CFRP tanks

Interview with COO discusses carbon fiber composites in tanks, vehicles and their role in space commerce as part of rapidly growing New Space economy.

Virtek Iris 3D system enables sustainable space tourism experience

Vision positioning system accelerates composite layup processes and reduces labor-intensive tasks for production of Space Perspective’s pressurized capsule.

Carbon Fibers

Airbus, ArianeGroup sign transition batch contract for Ariane 6 launch vehicles

Airbus will provide four primary lightweight carbon fibers structures for the next 14 vehicle launchers via state-of-the-art 4.0 industrial facility in Getafe, Spain.

Carbon Fibers

Heat resistance testing provides insight into preventing carbon fiber-reinforced UHTC degradation

Japan-based researchers use an arc-wind tunnel to better understand carbon fiber-reinforced ultrahigh-temperature ceramic matrix composites oxidation resistance in high-temp, inert atmospheres.

NASA’s Artemis I mega rocket launches Orion to moon

The agency’s Orion spacecraft — showcasing an abundance of composite components and structures — launched 1:47 a.m. on Nov. 16, and is on its way to the moon as part of the Artemis program.

Epoxies

Plant tour: ÉireComposites, Galway, Ireland

An in-house testing business and R&D focus has led to innovative materials use and projects in a range of markets, from civil aerospace to renewable energy to marine.

Hannah Mason
Technical Editor, CompositesWorld

Carbon Fibers

Beyond Gravity to supply ULA with composite payload fairings, adds to Amazon satellite contract

Beyond Gravity will deliver 38 carbon fiber payload fairings, in addition to Amazon CFRP dispenser contract, for Project Kuiper, expands U.S. production facility capacity.

Carbon Fibers

Beyond Gravity delivers key products for OneWeb broadband satellite launch

CFRP dispenser, among other products, successfully deliver 36 OneWeb satellites to low Earth orbit, bringing the satellite constellation fleet to 462.

Carbon Fibers

ISRO/NSIL deploys 36 OneWeb satellites in first commercial LMV-3 rocket launch

Kineco Kaman supplied the LVM-3 composite equipment bay shroud assemblies and other CFRP components that made the launch possible.

Beyond Gravity announces first four startups for Launchpad program

Eight-week incubator program enables the development and commercialization of advanced space solutions for aspiring entrepreneurs and companies, with second round underway.

Carbon Fibers

NASA orders three additional Orion spacecraft from Lockheed Martin

Lockheed maintains an OPOC for up to 12 composites-intensive vehicles over the course of the Artemis moon missions, reduces cost by 50% per vehicle.

Design/Simulation

Second NASA contract received by AnalySwift progresses high-fidelity composites design tool

Research funded at Purdue University, University of Texas at Arlington will produce a computer tool to exploit tailorable composites, hybrid material systems for a variety of broad applications.

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