The young minds space-proofing ESA’s missions

Vacuum, extreme temperatures and aggressive radiation – engineers designing spacecraft need to be able to rely on materials that can resist such harsh conditions.

In ESA’s Materials, Environments and Contamination Control Section, research fellows, ESA Graduate Trainees (EGTs), National Trainees and visiting researchers supported by ESA’s Discovery programme all work together on testing such space-proof materials.

“Our section studies the challenges imposed on materials by the space environment,” explains materials and processes engineer Malgorzata Holynska.

“It is mainly the exposed non-metallic parts of spacecraft that are affected by all the hostile space environmental factors, and their degradation might lead to issues with performance.”

The researchers do not only pave the way for upcoming space missions, but also conduct internal research to push knowledge boundaries in the field.

“We have many young talented researchers in our section. They are all part of our Researcher Forum – a group that meets on a regular basis to discuss their work, provide feedback and generate new ideas,” adds Malgorzata.

Detecting laser contamination

ESA Graduate Trainee (EGT) Sarah Krahl cannot imagine her future self not working in a laboratory environment. “One of my biggest passions is being in a lab, conducting research and experiments,” she says.

“Being surrounded by cutting-edge research and innovative minds who are world-class experts has strengthened not only my technical skills but also allowed me to dive deeper into meaningful topics that contribute to real mission-driven challenges.”

Sarah studies laser-induced contamination (LIC) – an issue faced by optical systems that use high-power lasers in the UV range.

“High-power UV lasers are used in light detection and ranging (lidar) missions, of which Aeolus is a famous example,” she explains. “The lifetime and reliability of optical systems is directly affected by small amounts of outgassed contaminants – molecules of trapped gasses that are released from materials under vacuum and condense onto cold surfaces like mirrors or lenses.”  

To study the behaviour of outgassed molecules that have been in contact with a high-power UV laser, Sarah uses the Radiation Induced Environmental Effects Facility (RIEEF) in the Materials and Components Laboratories.

Protecting spacecraft from ice

“Being at the centre of the overlap of many engineering disciplines allows me to gain exposure to a vast network of advanced researchers,” says Alex Laroche, internal research fellow.

“My goal is to use scientific methods to solve real-world problems and to understand anomalies seen in aerospace applications.”

The objective of Alex’s research fellowship is to use modelling and experimentation to improve our understanding of how water behaves as a contaminant in and around spacecraft.

“It is ironic how water, so essential to life, tends to obscure our search for it,” he says. “Water ice contamination of important spacecraft surfaces is a hindrance especially to science missions like Euclid or Gaia, and current contamination models are not able to predict it accurately enough.”

Alex improves contamination models to save future missions valuable time and energy.

Studying effects of lunar dust

“Having never worked in a lab before, my research project at ESA has so far been a great learning experience,” says Corinne Barker, ESA Graduate Trainee.

“I get to work with a fantastic team who welcome my questions and share their expertise with me. I’ve gained lots of experience working on different projects, including the Euro Material Ageing (EMA) experiment – a collection of material samples which have been exposed to the space environment on the outside of the International Space Station for a year.”

In her project, Corinne studies how lunar dust affects materials on the Moon. “Lunar dust is adhesive and abrasive – meaning it can easily stick to materials and damage them,” she explains. “It can cause visible degradation to solar panels, optical instruments, or protection materials, including astronaut suits.”

Corinne uses simulated lunar dust particles and studies how strongly they adhere to different materials by measuring the force between the dust particles and a retractable tip using an instrument inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Identifying new space-proof materials

ESA Graduate Trainee Léo Fournier is assessing alternative materials for critical space applications.

“In my traineeship, I’m gaining hands-on experience in sustainability and ecodesign for space missions, and contributing to ESA’s environmental compliance by analysing hazardous substances in mission materials,” he says.

“Space textiles are used so widely across spacecraft that they are essential to mission success. Their constant exposure to the harsh space environment means that even small changes in the manufacturing process or supply chain can affect their long-term performance.”

To ensure updated textiles continue to meet mission requirements, Léo evaluates their behaviour through a full space-exposure scenario. This includes thermal-vacuum cycling, ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation, exposure to atomic oxygen and outgassing assessments, with inspections carried out between after each step to monitor how the fabric evolves.

Protecting spacecraft from reactive oxygen

National Graduate Trainee Maciej Skorupski studies ways that materials in space are damaged by atomic oxygen – highly reactive individual oxygen atoms.

“I have the unique opportunity to operate the only atomic oxygen facility in Europe,” he says. “Having access to state-of-the-art instruments and gaining experience in ESA laboratories helps me work towards my career goal: contributing to human space exploration through materials engineering.”

In the upper atmosphere, UV light breaks molecular oxygen into two highly reactive atoms. “Atomic oxygen is one of the most aggressive environmental factors affecting spacecraft materials in low Earth orbit,” explains Maciej. “It erodes polymers, degrades protective coatings and alters surface chemistry, leading to reduced performance or premature failure of spacecraft components.”

With ESA’s Low Earth Orbit Facility, LEOX, Maciej replicates real orbital conditions by generating atomic oxygen moving at extremely high speed. His work focuses on understanding erosion mechanisms and evaluating the durability of candidate materials, providing data essential for designing more robust spacecraft and improving long-term mission reliability. 

“It’s great to see the enthusiasm and commitment of our researchers,” notes Adrian Tighe, head of the section. “They are provided with unique access to the high-tech equipment in our labs and we get to learn from their innovative ideas – it’s a win-win situation. We wish all our researchers well for their future careers, and hope that they have been inspired by the time spent with us.”