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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Park Aerospace Corp.
PRO-SET Laminating Epoxies

ESSENTIAL READING

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Medical

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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Mass Transit

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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Prepregs

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

The CAMX Forecast
The CAMX Forecast

Headed to CAMX? Preview the technology before the show!

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Composites in Advanced Air Mobility
Composites in Advanced Air Mobility

Explore the cutting-edge composites industry, as experts delve into the materials, tooling, and manufacturing hurdles of meeting the demands of the promising advanced air mobility (AAM) market. Join us at CW Tech Days to unlock the future of efficient composites fabrication operations.

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CW Tech Days
CW Tech Days

During CW Tech Days: Thermoplastics for Large Structures, experts explored the materials and processing technologies that are enabling the transition to large-part manufacturing.

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Composites One - distributor
Compsoite and Metallic tooling, parts, assemblies
Collier Aerospace's HyperX Users Conference 2025
Wickert Hydraulic Presses
High-Density Urethane (HDU) boards

Latest Space News And Updates

Space

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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Space

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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Space

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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Space

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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Space

Firefly Aerospace closes oversubscribed $175 million Series D raise

The end-to-end space transportation company looks to its future launch, lunar and on-orbit services and capabilities.

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Trends

Intuitive Machines debuts moon buggy for Artemis program

IM’s Moon RACER is one of three lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) designs being considered by NASA for future operations on the lunar surface.

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High-Density Urethane (HDU) boards
Alpha’s Premier ESR®
HEATCON Composite Systems
CompositesWorld
Composites One - distributor

Featured Posts

Space

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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Space

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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Space

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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Carbon Fibers

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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Space

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
American Elements
release agents, purging compounds, process chemical specialties
Composites One - distributor
Composites One - distributor