Topics

Please find below the main themes that will be covered in the conference, with some illustrative examples. These are open concepts, please feel free to suggest other applications. 

1. Radiation effects and charging 
UV and VUV degradation, electron/proton radiation effects, ESD effects, surface/bulk conductivity in representative environments

2. Durability of materials in extreme environments
High/low temperatures, thermal endurance, combined effects in deep space environments (i.e., radiation, charging, electrostatic return flux, molecular contamination, dust), materials for future missions 

3. Low / very low Earth Orbit (VLEO)
Atomic oxygen and drag effects for low and very low earth orbit. Applications e.g. satellite constellations, new telecommunications satellites, test facilities, modelling 

4. Clean space and sustainability 
Reusable materials, Materials for protection and control of space debris 

5. Cleanliness and contamination control 
CCC Requirements, testing & monitoring, cleaning techniques, cleanrooms, in-orbit modelling, thruster contamination modelling and testing, sputtering and redeposit modelling, hardware impacts, mitigation measures

6. Environmental protection coatings 
Thin film coatings, paints, multi-functional coatings, ESD/atomic oxygen protection coatings

7. Smart Materials and Applications
Environmental effects on materials produced by advanced manufacturing processes such as 3D/4D printing, applications for smart materials (e.g. thermo-control applications), multi-functional materials

8. Lunar and planetary surface exploration 
Dusty environments, Dust modelling, dust effects on materials/optics/mechanisms, dust mitigation, planetary protection, sample return missions (cryogenic storage), rarefied atmospheres

9. Long term storage
Prolonged storage of materials on ground, risk analysis, test methodologies, degradation effects

10. Standards and regulations
New materials and testing standards (ISO, ECSS, REACH, RoHS, international standards)

11. Model based system engineering
Modelling, characterization and definition of materials properties and degradation effects to support system requirements, design, analysis, verification and validation activities 

12. Industrial processes, supply chain and verification 
Digitilization, product assurance and quality control, commercial materials and cost reduction, COVID-19 lessons learnt (e.g. virtual inspections) 

13. Materials obsolescence
Management, stakeholder communication, risk analysis, materials replacement

14. Ground based facilities and testing 
Facilities, methodology, predictions and modelling correlation, acceleration factors, in-situ measurements 

15. Flight experiments and in-orbit demonstration 
EuroMaterialAgeing, Cubesats, ISS payloads, in-flight sensors