Seminars

The growing ambition of space exploration requires structural systems that are both lightweight and capable of reliable deployment and long-term operation in extreme environments. Ultra-thin composite shells offer a promising foundation for such deployable architectures, yet their continuous deformability presents significant challenges for structural reliability, environmental durability, and integration of conventional sensing technologies. These limitations are increasingly critical as future missions demand structures that can adapt, self-monitor, and maintain performance over extended durations in space.
This talk introduces a new multifunctional approach using mechanically compatible, space-environment–durable soft electronic skins designed for ultrathin composite shells. These soft skins provide in-situ structural and environmental monitoring while preserving key mechanical characteristics such as flexibility, mass efficiency, and deployment dynamics. To contextualize their design requirements, I will discuss the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment, emphasizing the erosion, degradation, and long-term material changes it induces, supported by experimental simulations on composite structures.
Beyond deployable systems, the talk highlights in-space structural assembly as a pathway toward ultra-large, scalable space infrastructures. I will introduce a mechanical and thermal joining method for carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic components that enables modular, low-energy orbital construction and supports future concepts in sustainable, reconfigurable space operations.