Plastics That Harden in Space

Space radiation might finally be good for something. The high-energy particles that degrade spacecraft and threaten astronauts' health could actually help make a new material useful for inflatable space habitats.

"Under space conditions, radiation is usually considered a damaging factor," said materials physicist Alexey Kondyurin of the University of Sydney in Australia. "But in our case, space radiation plays a positive role."

Kondyurin and colleagues developed a glue-like material that's goopy on the ground but hardens in space, and sent it 25 miles into the stratosphere tethered to a NASA balloon. Their results are published in a report online.

Ultimately, materials like Kondyurin's may be used to build inflatable structures in space. Lifting bulky buildings into orbit or transporting them whole to the moon or Mars is difficult and expensive. But materials that can blow up and self-harden (or "cure" in the language of materials scientists) could let future astronauts pack their houses on their backs.…

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