The European Space Programme bolsters the EU Space policy in the fields of Earth Observation, Satellite Navigation, Connectivity, Space Research and Innovation, and supports investments in critical infrastructure and disruptive technologies. As it will be overviewed in this paper, ICMATE has been widely involved in space-related research for more than thirty years performing experiments in space aimed at understanding whether the “weightlessness” could affect physical phenomena governed by surface tension forces and to design, develop and fabricate advanced materials for harsh environments.

Since capillary phenomena are governed by the competition between “surface” and “bulk” forces, studying such phenomena under microgravity conditions (by Parabolic Flights and on ISS) represents the unique experimental environment where fluid systems can be studied in very “clean” conditions, as in the case of liquid metals. Recently, by adding the Oxygen Control System, is possible to evaluate oxygen transport phenomena under microgravity conditions at the liquid metal surfaces. Accordingly, a set of experiments related to the surface and transport properties on batches of advanced steels, semiconductors, HEAs, BMG systems, Ti- and Ni-based industrial alloys, are running on board of ISS and Parabolic Flights Campaigns [1].

In parallel, studies on emulsions, foams, and liquid interfaces at ICMATE are also on going on board of the ISS. These experiments allow the study of interaction phenomena between drops and bubbles in the presence of surfactants, by excluding spurious effects due to segregation by floating, and in conditions of diffusive and Brownian transport [2].

Interfacial phenomena are also crucial in designing and successful manufacturing of advanced materials for space applications and for extreme environments, as well [3].

The expertise of ICMATE’s scientists is even available for developing and ad-hoc shaping the performance of advanced materials such as SMA [4], HEAs (bulk and coatings), composites and filler materials highly resistant in Space environment, as well as terrestrial support for making efficient the In-situ resources utilization approach of Lunar Soil for the recent launched Artemis program, as the first step in the next era of human exploration. In fact, together with commercial and international partners, NASA will establish a sustainable presence on the Moon to prepare for missions to Mars. On these subjects, researchers of ICMATE are involved in Topical Teams [5] and participate to a recently approved project [6], funded by the Italian Space Agency and related to the 3D printing of functionalised large building elements from lunar regolith.

Finally, ICMATE researchers are deeply involved in ESA/ASI Topical Teams strictly related to Space Science as Terrestrial support for implementing experiments on ISS [6, 7].

References

[1] 1999-2019: MAP-ESA THERMOLAB, THERMOPROP Programs; 2004-To now: MAP-ESA OXYTHERM, SEMITHERM.

[2] 2000-2015: MAP-ESA Projects and related experiments, such as FASES-ISS 2014, FASTER-ISS 2015, SMD (Soft Matter Dynamics), 2015, and, since 2018, EDDI (Emulsion Dynamics and Droplet Interfaces), with the various runs of experiment PASTA (Particle Stabilised Emulsions) onboard the ISS performed (2022) and planned (2023, 2024).

[3] ADMACOM, EU FP7-2013-NMP-ICT-FOF; SIC-WIN, H2020 MSCA Cofound, UMO-16/23/P/ST8/01916.

[4] INTERREG PROJECT INNOSMAD-New materials and solutions for vibration damping.

[5] ASI Topical Teams: Structural Materials, In-situ Manufacturing and Materials for exploration (from 2021).

[6] Project GLAMS (Geopolymers for Lunar Additive Manufacturing and Sensing), approved by ASI in 2023.

[7] ESA Topical Teams: Biofilms from an interdisciplinary perspective (2020-2022 Ext.2023), ISS-EML and OCS IWG (since 2004).