Graphene takes flight test for future space missions

The Centre for Advanced Two-Dimensional Materials (CA2DM) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) teamed up with US-based aerospace company Boreal Space to conduct the flight.

"Graphene's usefulness on Earth has already been established in the last decade. It is now an opportune time to expand its prospects for use in space applications - an area touted as being the most challenging to modern technology - and shift the paradigm of materials science. Space is the final frontier for graphene research, and I believe this is the first time that graphene has entered the stratosphere," said project leader Prof Antonio Castro Neto, director of NUS CA2DM.

Researchers recognise that graphene has potential for space missions due its flexibility and strength, but practical uses for the material have yet to be established.

"To move a spacecraft over long distances in space, huge accelerations and speeds which are only possible with very low mass equipment are needed. Graphene is the ideal material as it is among the lightest, yet strongest, functional materials we have. In addition, the high electronic performance of graphene makes it a prime candidate to handle the lack of oxygen and low temperatures in space," said Prof Castro Neto.