Dr. David Jarvis

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The ESA Research Programme - Materials Science in
Space -
EMSTF - Cork, Ireland
29th June 2004
Dr. David Jarvis Materials Science Coordinator

Directorate of Human
Spaceflight, ESA
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GRAVITY AND MICROGRAVITY
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ON EARTH (with effects of gravity)
IN SPACE (without effects of gravity)
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Research infrastructure available in Europe for
performing microgravity experimentation
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FACILITIES AVAILABLE ON ISS FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE
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COORDINATING THE SCIENCE AT EUROPEAN LEVEL
The ESA ELIPS Research Plan was elaborated on the
basis of peer-recommended proposals, in response
to AOs
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RESEARCH CORNERSTONES IN PHYSICAL SCIENCES

• FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS
• FLUID PHYSICS
• PLANETARY EXPLORATION
• MATERIALS SCIENCES

• Plasmas and dust particles physics
• Cold atoms and quantum fluids

• Structure and dynamics of fluids, multi-phase
  systems and interfaces
• Combustion

• Knowledge-based technologies for robotic and
  human planetary exploration

• New materials and processing from fluids
• Thermophysical properties

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SUB-TOPICS IN MATERIALS SCIENCE
Complex Plasmas
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CHARACTERISTICS OF MATERIALS PROGRAMME

• 300 European material scientists
• 40 European companies (aerospace, metals,
  electronics, power generation, automotive,
  chemical industry)
• 15 different European countries

• international collaboration with scientists from
  Russia, US, Japan, Canada and China
• Shining example of trans-national cooperation in
  MATERIALS SCIENCE

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IMPRESS INTEGRATED PROJECT

• Intermetallic Materials Processing in Relation
  to Earth and Space Solidification

• (a) high-temperature structural intermetallics
  for turbine blades, (b) catalytic intermetallics
  for fuel-cell electrodes

• good complementarity between ground-based and
  space research

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CONCLUSIONS

• strong and vibrant programme in materials
  science - both fundamental and applied

• unique research infrastructure, in the form of
  ISS and other microgravity platforms

• possible new direction looking at
  mission-enabling materials for future space
  flight programmes (Moon/Mars)

• Learning Zone (www.spaceflight.esa.int/material
  s)

Importance of EMSTF