ESA and Graphene Flagship partner for space experiments

The Graphene Flagship and the European Space Agency are teaming up on two new experiments to test out graphene’s potential for use in space applications.

Set to launch in November 2017, the research projects will test how the material performs under zero-gravity conditions. One will explore if graphene may be suitable for light sails to propel satellites in space, while the other will test if graphene can improve the efficiency of cooling systems used widely in the aerospace industry.

"Space is the new frontier for the Graphene Flagship,” said the University of Cambridge’s Andrea Ferrari, science and technology officer of the Graphene Flagship. “These initial experiments will test the viability of graphene-enabled devices for space applications.”

Led by PhD students from TU Delft in the Netherlands, the first project will use microgravity conditions in the ZARM Drop Tower to test graphene for light sails. The 146m tower, located in Bremen, Germany, simulates the low gravity and vacuum conditions of space, providing 9.3 seconds of weightlessness in which to conduct experiments. By shining laser light on suspended graphene membranes in the weightless environment, the students will be able to measure how much thrust could be generated using the same method in space, or using light from the sun.