SETU lecturer in aerospace engineering, Dr Mark Wylie, and SETU postgraduate researcher, Theeba Shafeeg, were delighted to see an Experimental Payload they collaborated on launched to the International Space Station using NASA’s SpaceX’s 31st commercial resupply services mission.
It launched from the Kennedy Space Center at approximately 2:30am GMT on 5 November.
The mission includes studies of solar wind, a radiation-tolerant moss, spacecraft materials, and a cold-welding experiment for space applications. Contributions have been made from an international team of researchers, with SETU’s Dr Wylie and Ms Shafeeg working on the cold-welding experimental payload as part of ASTROBEAT (SUP-2023-09), which is an MCAST project, led by Dr Leonardo Barilaro, and financed by Xjenza Malta through the Space Upstream Programme. The International Space Station payload opportunity is being made available by Nanoracks (Voyager Space), through its Space Act Agreement with NASA’s US National Lab.
ASTROBEAT marks the first investigation of the cold-welding phenomenon for use in spacecraft hull repair following a hypervelocity impact by space debris or micrometeorite. This morning’s launch saw an experimental test rig being sent for testing and qualification, at TRL 6, on the International Space Station for a one-month period.
ASTROBEAT investigates the use of cold welding to repair perforations in the outer shell or hull of a spacecraft from the inside. Some micrometeoroids and space debris traveling at hypervelocities could perforate the outer surfaces of spacecraft, possibly jeopardizing mission success or crew safety.
The ability to repair impact damage from inside a spacecraft may be more efficient and safer for crew members. The project will also improve knowledge about the range of applications of cold-welding for terrestrial uses as well.
Both Dr Wylie and Ms Shafeeg, through their collaboration with Dr Leonardo Barilaro of Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology (MCAST), worked on the mechanical design of the cold-welding experiment. This 1U payload will remotely actuate several spring-loaded chambers to yield material samples into one another. A novel method to measure the weld onset using a custom milli-ohm meter will be tested. Embedded cameras will also monitor the experiment.
Speaking about the importance of the research, Dr Wylie, co-author of the idea of using cold-welding for this application, commented, “This is a paradigm shift in the way space engineers and agencies will view cold-welding. It was considered as a detrimental effect of the space environment, causing unwanted fusion and locking of deployable mechanisms. Instead, this new approach exploits this low temperature fusion phenomenon for spacecraft repair."
Dr Wylie continued, “This is a momentous occasion for SETU to have contributed to a pan-European project with MCAST that will both further specialist knowledge in this field but also demonstrates the design, manufacturing, and qualification of an open-source experimental payload that can be developed into other space bound materials experiments by others. I was delighted for Theeba to get an opportunity to demonstrate her research in-situ at such an early stage. It will provide a unique opportunity to gather data in the space environment.”
The SETU and MCAST teams are also collaborating with SkyUp Academy, Italy, for the second phase of this research project. Moreover, MCAST started a prestigious collaboration with NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD, thanks to the support of Professor Andrea Macci, Director of the Centre for Astrophysics and Space Science. We look forward to further collaboration.
Theeba Shafeeg, whose research calculations are being employed in the project, said, "I’m very grateful to my supervisor, Dr Mark Wylie, for the opportunity to contribute to the ASTROBEAT project. This project forms a chapter of my ongoing PhD research on ‘An Investigation into Cold-welding in the Space Environment’ here at SETU. It is exciting to see the research develop into a real-world project within the space industry, and it's been an incredible experience overall."
Theeba is a graduate of SETU's Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Aerospace Engineering. She is currently pursuring her postgraduate research work at SETU's Carlow campus.
An additional aspect of this project is Dr Leonardo Barilaro’s coordination of the “Space Art” project that will send new music compositions to the International Space Station. To further amplify the project’s impact, Dr Barilaro secured the participation of Grammy-nominated cellist and composer Tina Guo and world-renowned producer Steve Mazzaro. Notably, Tina Guo and Steve Mazzaro have been collaborating for several years with Hans Zimmer. Their involvement in ASTROBEAT significantly enhances the project’s public outreach potential both at a national and international level.
