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!

Design for manufacturing, assembly and automation enables complex CFRP telescope supports
ATL/AFP

Design for manufacturing, assembly and automation enables complex CFRP telescope supports

Airborne delivered two mirror support structures for the FYST and SOLAT telescopes, assembling 26,300 components while maintaining near-zero CTE, strict tolerances on 6.5 × 6.5 × 1.8-meter assemblies.  

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Wickert Hydraulic Presses
Composites One - distributor

ESSENTIAL READING

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Thermoplastics

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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Space

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.

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Knowledge Centers

CW Tech Days: Sustainability
CW Tech Days: Sustainability

This CW Tech Days event will explore the technologies, materials, and strategies that can help composites manufacturers become more sustainable.

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Closed Molding
Closed Molding

Closed mold processes offer many advantages over open molding. This knowledge center details the basics of closed mold methods and the products and tools essential to producing a part correctly.

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CW Tech Days: Bonding and Welding
CW Tech Days: Bonding and Welding

Join us for insights into advanced bonding techniques and welding processes for composite materials to ensure durability and structural integrity.

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High-Density Urethane (HDU) boards
PRO-SET Laminating Epoxies
Park Aerospace Corp.
Collier Aerospace's HyperX Users Conference 2025
Composites One - distributor

Latest Space News And Updates

Aerospace

Airborne to supply Airbus with composite components for mega-constellation satellite solar arrays

Airborne Aerospace will manufacture more than 700 composite substrate panels and yoke substrates for Airbus Sparkwing solar arrays, a critical component of MDA Space’s Aurora satellite product line.

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Space

Airborne completes final delivery of CFRP mirror structures for Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope

Airborne, with the help of partners, designed, manufactured and assembled two 6-meter-diameter mirror support structures for highly complex scientific telescope project.

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Defense

FibreCoat secures up to €20 million for coatings maturation

Metal- and plastics-coated fiber innovator aims to rapidly grow radiation-, heat- and EMI-resistant material offerings for space and defense.

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Welding

AnalySwift receives NASA STTR contract to enable second-use spacecraft infrastructure

Together with Purdue, AnalySwift aims to develop a composite heater layer and a novel software tool or module to achieve assembly, disassembly of thermoplastic composite joints in space during long-duration missions.

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ORNL, Sierra Space create novel C/SiC TPS for reusable space vehicles

CMC tiles will be used on the Sierra Space DC100 Dream Chaser spaceplane carrying critical supplies and science experiments to and from NASA’s ISS.

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Aerospace

ESA collaboration brings Altair software to aerospace, space startups

Access to Altair simulation, AI and data analytics solutions and consulting options to ESA Partnership Initiative for Commercialisation (EPIC) organizations aims to diversify, support aerospace companies.

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Compsoite and Metallic tooling, parts, assemblies
CompositesWorld Top Shop Survey
release agents, purging compounds, process chemical specialties
HEATCON Composite Systems
High-Density Urethane (HDU) boards

Featured Posts

Defense

Composites business growth through diversification, innovation

San Diego-based 2024 Top Shops qualifier Rock West Composites gives an overview of its relentless commitment to improvement, including its composite capabilities and its role as a trusted player in the space market.

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CAMX

VIDEO: Rock West's growth in the space sector

Rock West Composites’ chief strategy officer discusses recent surge in space applications on the CAMX 2024 show floor.

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Post Cure

Post Cure: CFRP landing leg supports reusable launcher capabilities

MT Aerospace AG, as part of the EU’s Horizon Europe project SALTO, has successfully developed a 7-meter-long carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) landing leg demonstrator using advanced automated fiber placement and 3D printing technologies.

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Aerospace

Low-cost, efficient CFRP anisogrid lattice structures

CIRA uses patented parallel winding, dry fiber, silicone tooling and resin infusion to cut labor for lightweight, heavily loaded space applications.

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Composites reinvent aerospace, AAM and space

Celebrating National Composites Week, CW shares ways in which composites continue to make a significant impact in aerospace and space market developments.

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Infusion

Carbon fiber satellite arm reduces weight, simplifies assembly onto naval vessels

Satcom developer EM Solutions partnered with ACS Australia to replace an aluminum arm design with a 65% lighter, one-piece, corrosion-resistant carbon fiber/epoxy alternative.

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Large Scale Additive Manufacturing
Airtech
Industrial CNC Routers
American Elements
Composites One - distributor