A joint conference on Materials in the Space Environment
18 - 23 September 2022, Naturalis (Leiden), The Netherlands

Come with us on a journey from the surface of the Earth to the unknowns of deep space, to explore the highly complex interactions between materials and the space environment.  Traditional topics of the conference include atomic oxygen interactions, cleanliness and contamination control, UV degradation of materials, space debris impacts, flight experiments, materials for harsh environments and standards and regulations.  We would also like to encourage contributions on new and emerging topics. These include new environments such as very low earth orbit and lunar and planetary environments, as well as new manufacturing and testing methodologies based on concepts such as digitilisation, artificial intelligence and machine based learning. 

Together we will discuss how the field of materials in the space environment is changing, for example through the expanding use of commercial materials, high volume manufacture and advanced manufacturing processes, as well as the low cost constellations which are now driving the space business. In the short term, we must also help our industries to adapt to new ways of working after the COVID-19 lockdowns, for example by performing remote inspections and coping with obsolete materials.

The conference will consist of a single plenary session throughout the week, introduced by key note lectures and a session on roadmaps for future technologies. Meet some of the world’s leading academics, scientists, engineers and industrial specialists working in the field, and contribute by providing interactive feedback, participating in round table discussions and networking with like-minded colleagues. There will also be poster sessions and an exhibition for industries and research centres to display their latest products and test equipment. For students, young engineers and newcomers to the field, we will be hosting a short introductory course on the Sunday afternoon.