Theoretical and Experimental Evaluation of Polymeric Materials for Use in a Space Environment

Expandable solar concentrators and other expandable space-vehicle structures will require utilization of polymeric materials in the form of films, foams, and coated fabrics. These materials must withstand ultraviolet radiation, vacuum, temperature extremes, and numerous other elements of the space environment without undergoing volatilization or degradation to a critical degree. While much is known about the properties of materials in the earth's normal atmosphere, only a meager amount of information is available on how common polymeric structural material properties will be affected by the hyper-environmental conditions of outer space.