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

GTRI research engineer Konrad Ahlin operates a collaborative robot arm to automatically load a chicken carcass onto a cone, demonstrating a poultry processing task that could potentially benefit from robotics. (Credit: Steven Thomas)
News stories

Konrad Ahlin Named First R. Harold and Patsy Harrison Research Faculty Fellow in Poultry Technologies

Robotics engineer Konrad Ahlin has been named the R. Harold and Patsy Harrison Research Faculty Fellow in Poultry Technologies at the Georgia Tech Research Institute’s (GTRI) Agricultural Technology Research Program (ATRP).
Text saying "GTRI Strategic Plan 2020-2030 The Next 10 Year" accompanied by six arrows making a mountain shape. (Credit Mel Goux)
News stories

GTRI’s Mission for 2021 and Beyond

In late 2019, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) formed a team to guide the development of a new strategic plan informed by the opinions and interests of all employees. Following the feedback contributed by over 600 volunteers in an appreciative inquiry process, GTRI’s strategic plan embraces, builds on, and enhances the organization’s success and culture by articulating goals and identifying intentional actions.
Veterans
News stories

Georgia Tech and GTRI Offer Military Fellowship

The Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia Tech Research Institute supports U.S. active duty, guard, or reserve military officers by awarding Military Graduate Research Program Fellowships.