Speaker
Description
The Italian Aerospace Research Centre is developing a functionalized, multilayer composite to mitigate lunar radiation exposure while meeting long-term habitation structural needs. Space radiation is the principal health risk for astronauts on extended missions, dominated beyond Earth’s magnetic field by Solar Particle Events (SPEs) and Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs). Shielding efficiency improves as atomic number decreases and charge-to-mass ratio increases, making hydrogen most effective; thus hydrogen-rich polymers are preferred. Polyethylene (C₂H₄)ₙ is a promising candidate, and Ultrahigh-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fabrics serve as the polymer matrix to endure lunar temperatures up to 120 °C. To boost GCR attenuation, boron nitride (BN) microparticles were added. A manufacturing process integrates UHMWPE fabrics with Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) films to form multilayer structures. Mechanical characterization focused on interlaminar shear strength, with extensive thermal and thermo-mechanical analyses and preliminary radiation-shielding assessments to validate performance.