A close-up of a sample similar to those sent to the ISS to study their durability in harsh space conditions.

Leaner and Meaner: Materials Tested in Space Could Help Build More Space-Resilient Satellites

05.18.2026

Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) are sending experimental polymer materials to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the MISSE-22 mission to better understand how they withstand real space conditions. 

Mounted outside the ISS and exposed to atomic oxygen, extreme temperatures, and radiation, the samples will later be returned to Earth for detailed analysis. The findings will help improve materials for future satellite constellations. The project brings together government, academic, and industry partners, including the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), California-based R&D firm Hedgefog Research Inc., DuPont de Nemours, and Aegis Aerospace. 

Read the full story on the Georgia Tech Research news site. 

GTRI Senior Research Engineer and Principal Investigator Elena Plis and her team are sending new lightweight, research-grade polymers to the ISS for months of in-orbit exposure and later testing on Earth. Here, she is pictured in a laboratory at a GTRI facility in Atlanta, GA (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI).

Media Inquiries

Or use our contact form >

Newsletter

Sign up for monthly updates on GTRI’s research, activity, and more.

Related News

Erik Andersen standing in front of a GTRI sign.
News stories

GTRI Sponsors Its First Fellow from Hiring Our Heroes Program

Col. Erik Andersen has served in the U.S. Army, Georgia National Guard, and the Atlanta Police Department. He met GTRI recruiters at a recent virtual career fair in January 2021 and advocated for a program called Hiring Our Heroes (HOH), which helps veterans and families of military members find civilian employment. He sees GTRI as a good place for combining his heart for service and entrepreneurial spirit.
Jeffery (Jeff) Hurley, a senior research scientist in the Electronic Systems Laboratory (ELSYS) at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), is educating the future generation of electrical and computer engineers.
News stories

Jeffery Hurley Receives Georgia Tech Teaching Award

Jeffery (Jeff) Hurley, a senior research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), received the 2021 Richard M. Bass/Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding Junior Teacher Award for his teaching efforts in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech.
Graduation display on Georgia Tech's campus.
News stories

Q&A with Graduating GTRI Student Employees

When students’ college careers come to a close, some choose to stay with GTRI while others embark on a new life chapter equipped with knowledge and experience they gained from their time at GTRI. Two graduating students, Walter (Drew) Disharoon and Laura Heller, share their experiences and wisdom.