Reusing space materials to enable deep-space exploration
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A major challenge in space exploration is the limited availability of resources.
At UIC Engineering, Professor Yayue Pan and her team of researchers in the NASA MIRO Center for In-Space Manufacturing: Recycling and Regolith Processing (CISM-R2) are investigating new ways to use and re-use materials found in space.
The team is developing advanced manufacturing technologies to both enable the recycling of waste materials in space and process planetary regolith, a blanket of loose deposits covering solid rock. It includes dust, broken rocks, and related materials that can be found on Earth’s Moon, Mars, some asteroids, and other planets and moons.
“We are investigating the use of regolith simulants and UV light—both abundant in extraterrestrial environments—to fabricate ablators for thermal protection systems that could support space launch and atmospheric re-entry missions,” said Yinong Chen, a PhD student working in the Pan’s lab.
An ablator is a protective material designed to burn away, melt, or vaporize to dissipate intense heat on spacecraft during atmospheric reentry. It protects the structure beneath by absorbing and carrying heat away during controlled destruction.
To achieve their goal, the research team developed a UV-curable composite called ReCPA, combining regolith-like particles, carbon, and a light-activated resin.
“This material can be processed using UV light, including potentially natural solar radiation, enabling energy-efficient 3D printing directly on extraterrestrial surfaces. Designed as a layered structure, ReCPA withstands extreme heat by gradually sacrificing itself while protecting the structure underneath,” Chen said.
The research includes high-temperature flame testing of the fabricated materials. During tests using a 1300°C flame, a 6 mm-thick sample maintained the backside temperature below 200°C, demonstrating strong thermal protection.
“These results highlight a promising pathway toward lightweight, scalable, and locally manufacturable thermal protection materials, supporting future deep-space missions while reducing launch mass and reliance on Earth-based resources,” said undergraduate student Alex Guha.
The researchers will present their findings at the 2026 ASME Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference in Pennsylvania.