A close-up of a sample similar to those sent to the ISS to study their durability in harsh space conditions.

Leaner and Meaner: Materials Tested in Space Could Help Build More Space-Resilient Satellites

05.18.2026

Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) are sending experimental polymer materials to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the MISSE-22 mission to better understand how they withstand real space conditions. 

Mounted outside the ISS and exposed to atomic oxygen, extreme temperatures, and radiation, the samples will later be returned to Earth for detailed analysis. The findings will help improve materials for future satellite constellations. The project brings together government, academic, and industry partners, including the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), California-based R&D firm Hedgefog Research Inc., DuPont de Nemours, and Aegis Aerospace. 

Read the full story on the Georgia Tech Research news site

GTRI Senior Research Engineer and Principal Investigator Elena Plis and her team are sending new lightweight, research-grade polymers to the ISS for months of in-orbit exposure and later testing on Earth. Here, she is pictured in a laboratory at a GTRI facility in Atlanta, GA (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI).

Newsletter

Sign up for monthly updates on GTRI’s research, activity, and more.

Related News

News stories
Isabella Reyna, a data analyst in the Electronic Systems Laboratory’s (ELSYS) Test Engineering Division (TEN), has received the Young Professional Award from the Association of Old Crows (AOC) Kittyhawk Chapter.
News stories
On Dec.13, we celebrate the National Guard's Birthday. It's a day to honor the resilience and versatility of the Guard and its members who seamlessly juggle their military obligations with civilian careers. Keegan George, a Research Engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and an Officer in the Georgia Army National Guard, exemplifies this dual commitment.
News stories
Eric Grigorian, Chief of the Architecture & Systems Development Division in the Applied Systems Laboratory (ASL), is featured in the November 2024 issue of IEEE Spectrum, the journal of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).