Nanotechnology and Space Exploration

But I'm sure you're all still wondering ONE thing...

"In space, no one can hear you scream." The tag-line for Ridley Scott's sci-fi thriller, Alien, really holds true both literally and metaphorically. Longer missions (such as traveling to Mars) have much greater risk factors involved and have greatly bolstered the need for the astronaut to be as self-reliant as possible.

Sources

The Need for Self-reliance

• "The Next Giant Leap - NASA Science." The Next Giant Leap - NASA Science. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
• "Nanotechnology Can Launch a New Age of Space Exploration." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 2012. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
• "Nanotechnology Can Launch a New Age of Space Exploration." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 2012. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
• Dunbar, Brian. "Shape-Shifting Robot Nanotech Swarms on Mars." NASA. NASA, 2005. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
• "Watch This Self-healing Material Handle a Bullet." Engadget. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
• "Sputnik." Sputnik. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
• "NASA TechPort - Public Data." NASA TechPort - Public Data. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
• NASA. NASA. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
• "The Deep-Space Suit." Popular Science. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
• "Self-healing Materials." How Do Self-healing Materials Work? Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
• Barrie, Allison. "High-tech Kevlar-based Gloves Keep Firefighters Safe | Fox News." Fox News. FOX News Network, 2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
• "HybridShield Thermal Arrays - NanoSonic Technology." NanoSonic Technology. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
• "NASA's Self-healing Material Can Take Bullets." NewsComAu. 2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.

Back on Earth... The TETwalker

But what about the practical things, like cost?

Achievement

On September 12, 1962, just five years after the USSR launched the world's first artificial satellite, the United States had developed the technology to actually land on the moon. Today, scientists continue to strive for amazing achievements in astrophysics and engineering to be able to reach mankind's next scenic destination...

Joe's "Crippletron" from Family Guy follows the same general hive-mind concept.

Well, do YOU like money?!

Scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md have been constructing prototypes of what will be a nanoscale robotic pyramid. This moving piece of equipment will be joined with many others to form "autonomous nanotechnology swarms," (or ANTS, for short) that can change their shape to form a variety of useful objects including solar sails and even communication antennae.

The TETwalker gets its name from its tetrahedron shape and is therefore supported by six struts connected to four motorized nodes which can cause the struts to expand and contract; thus creating movement. The final product will have its nodes replaced with Micro- and Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems and its struts replaced with carbon nanotubes.

Shrinking Costs

By reducing the size of loads using nanoscale components, it is possible to drastically reduce the cost of launch. One example is to launch a small, "shoebox-sized craft" with a payload of only 2-5 kg that is built with all the automated research capabilities that can be found on their full-scale counterparts. (www.theguardian.com)

(NASA.gov)

Evolution

Ever since the launch of Sputnik I on October 4, 1957, countries around the world have been in working to improve their satellite (and soon after, space travel) technology so that astronomers may be able to gain a better understanding of the universe.

(www.nasa.gov)

THIS IS WHERE NANOTECHNOLOGY (FINALLY) CAN HELP!!!!

It costs around $10,000 per 1lbs to lift something into orbit!

According to NASA, in 2011, the average shuttle mission required $450 million to (literally) get off the ground!

(theguardian.com and NASA.gov)

Well unfortunately, space travel is really freaking expensive!

Concluding Remarks

Advancements in nanotechnology have had many direct positive influences in the fields of astronomy and space exploration and will continue to improve our understanding of the universe by reducing costs and creating more efficient tools for astronauts and scientists to collect more data in the galaxy.

What do you do....?

...what do you do?

The Ripped Suit

The Bringer of War

The actual plan to put humans on Mars has been decades in the making, and has evolved tremendously overtime with respect to advancements in technology --specifically in the field of nano-electronics.

Exploration and Observation

Now that we've gone over how nanotechnology can provide safety for astronauts going on future long and distant missions, we can look at some of the ways that nanotech will be able to assist them with their research as well.

Solution

More self-healing nanotech polymers!

Two layers of translucent polymer material sandwich a gel called tributylborane.

When oxygen mixes with the gel, the reaction causes the liquid to solidify and heal the wound on the nano level!

The Video

(www.engadget.com)

Nanotechnology and Space Exploration

Video from 0:58 - 1:42

NANOTECH TO THE RESCUE!!!

You know what this means we can have now... right...???

A Self-Healing Space Suit

(www.nasa.gov, www.foxnews.com, www.nanosonic.com)

-Once the microcapsules release healding agents, it seems as though the polymers cannot be repaired again

Cons

-Gets rid of the need to resupply from Earth

-Lightweight, flexible, and designed with HybridSil technology by NanoSonic --a type of kevlar-based material that provides resistances to heat, water, and ballistic damage

Pros

Luke Jackson

Professor Ridha Kamoua

ITS 102 Intro to Nanotechnology