Space
Composites have been used in space since our early steps into the cosmos. Often turned to for their light weight and high strength, these materials have a history of use in spaceflight in such applications as payload fairings, satellite structures and heat shields. â–º Explore the technologies, materials and strategies used by composites manufacturers working in the evolving space market at our virtual CW Tech Days: New Space Applications. Learn more and register here!
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Composites end markets: New space (2025)
Composite materials — with their unmatched strength-to-weight ratio, durability in extreme environments and design versatility — are at the heart of innovations in satellites, propulsion systems and lunar exploration vehicles, propelling the space economy toward a $1.8 trillion future.
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Materials & Processes: Composites fibers and resins
Compared to legacy materials like steel, aluminum, iron and titanium, composites are still coming of age, and only just now are being better understood by design and manufacturing engineers. However, composites’ physical properties — combined with unbeatable light weight — make them undeniably attractive.
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Materials & Processes: Resin matrices for composites
The matrix binds the fiber reinforcement, gives the composite component its shape and determines its surface quality. A composite matrix may be a polymer, ceramic, metal or carbon. Here’s a guide to selection.
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Materials & Processes: Introduction
High strength at low weight remain the winning combination that propels composite materials into new arenas, but other properties are equally important. This article outlines the case for composites and introduces SourceBook's overview of the materials and processes used to make them.
Read MoreKnowledge Centers
Discover the types of sensors being used in composites, the physics on which they�re based, their installation, promised benefits and challenges, as well as the potential they offer for even further developments in smart structures.
LEARN MORELatest Space News And Updates
Beyond Gravity composites, space instruments power European MetOp weather satellites
The first in six new satellites named MetOp-Second Generation is scheduled for launch mid-August 2025 to help precisely monitor Earth’s weather, climate and atmospheric conditions.
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Scout Space, Dawn Aerospace complete suborbital spaceplane surveillance test flight
First demonstration of space domain awareness (SDA) services using a rapidly deployable spaceplane like the composite Aurora creates promise for affordable, flexible access to VLEO.
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NASA contract enables Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 4 in 2029
The company’s fourth lunar mission and fifth NASA CLPS award will use the Elytra orbital vehicle and Blue Ghost lunar lander to operate two rovers and three scientific instruments on the Moon’s south pole.
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CompPair advances HealTech composites in real-world solutions
New projects, collaborations and sustainability efforts highlight the prospect of healable materials for automotive, AAM, space and beyond.
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Engineering simulation software, technical expertise supports composite, metallic systems
CAMX 2025: SDA Software presents its composite structures, materials consulting and engineering solutions leadership, delivering mission-critical designs for UAVs, manned vehicles and spacecraft.
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Toray Advanced Composites to supply composites for constellation solar arrays
Per a long-term agreement, space-qualified carbon fiber/epoxy materials will be delivered to Airborne for high-volume production of solar array substrates and yoke panels.
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Revolutionizing space composites: A new era of satellite materials
A new approach for high volumes of small satellite structures uses low-CTE, low-cost CFRP cellular core, robust single-ply skins and modular panel systems to cut lead time, labor and cost for reflectors, solar arrays and more.
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Paris Air Show highlights advanced materials, industry momentum
This year’s international air show offered a glimpse of the rapidly expanding future for composites in aerospace.
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Automating oxide CMC for higher part volumes
FOX Composites has adapted infusion and RTM for slurry-based matrices, commercializing its VASI and IFOX technologies for automatable, scalable, serial production of high-quality oxide ceramic matrix composite parts, already proven in flight missions and a pilot-scale line.
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Optimizing a CFRP landing leg demonstrator
MT Aerospace achieves design for manufacturing, integrating multiple elements into one-piece structure using AFP and 3D printed tooling to meet time and budget constraints.
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Expanding high-temperature composites in India and the U.S.
Azista USA offers polymers and processes for carbon/carbon and other CMC, including novel hot-melt phenolic and phthalonitrile prepregs for faster cycle times, alternative solutions.
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Post Cure: CMC family of materials handles extreme environments
Arceon’s Carbeon materials serves to bridge the gap between research and industry, capable of handling extreme temperatures and thermal shock among other properties for defense, space and beyond.
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