Abstract:
The impact of micrometeoroid and space debris may cause damages such as micro-cracks and/or perforations to materials of space equipment, which is one of the great challenges for human spaceflight. Thus, self-healing technology for materials in space may be one of the effective solutions. In this paper, an on-orbit experimental design of self-healing technology for flexible and rigid material was carried out. The syringe puncturing was used to simulate the breakdown of the self-healing material. A camera was applied to record the self-healing process and repairing time of the liquid sealed in the specimen after it was quickly cured by ultraviolet radiation to repair the damage. The physical properties of the repaired materials were tested. This research may promote the development and application of self-healing technology for flexible and rigid materials to be used in human spaceflight.