MICROSCOPY & MICROTECHNIQUES


Microscopy drives materials innovation for space:


Understanding the challenges of space materials


Dr Herman Lemmens, Thermo Fisher Scientific


Materials destined for space exploration face conditions far more extreme than those found in aviation or terrestrial applications. Spacecraft components endure temperature swings from over +150°C in direct sunlight to below –150°C in shadow along with ionising radiation, vacuum and atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit. These factors accelerate degradation in metals, composites and polymer-based materials and create major challenges for long-term reliability. Here, Dr Herman Lemmens, Sales Development Director EMEA at Thermo Fisher Scientific explains how advanced microscopy helps researchers evaluate and strengthen materials for space missions.


Transmission electron microscopy provides insight at the atomic and nanoscale...


Ensuring the structural integrity and long-term functionality of space materials relies on detailed insight into microstructure, chemistry and defect evolution. Conventional bulk testing cannot fully predict how materials behave under such extreme conditions. Moreover, many failure mechanisms begin at length scales far smaller than traditional mechanical tests can detect, making high- resolution imaging essential for accurate lifetime prediction. Advanced microscopy techniques that probe from the microscale to the nanoscale have therefore become indispensable for qualification and design.


Probing materials under


extreme conditions Space environments introduce degradation pathways that rarely appear on Earth. Metallic alloys may develop radiation-induced defect clusters, grain boundary embrittlement or voids. Composites can delaminate under


repeated thermal cycling as layers expand and contract at different rates, while thermal protection systems on re-entry vehicles experience ablation and oxidation and polymer surfaces in low Earth orbit erode under exposure to atomic oxygen. Also, optical components, such as mirrors and sensor housings, can suffer darkening or micro-pitting that degrades performance over time.


Microscopy allows engineers to directly observe these processes. Scanning electron microscopy provides high-resolution surface imaging to reveal corrosion pits, microcracks and fracture patterns. When paired with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy it can map elemental distributions and identify chemical variations that influence durability.


Transmission electron microscopy provides insight at the atomic and nanoscale, resolving dislocation networks, irradiation-induced voids and nanoscale precipitates. These features often dictate mechanical properties and failure modes, making nanoscale visibility essential for


linking microscopic defects to macroscopic performance. Cryo-TEM workflows are increasingly being explored for analysing polymers and composite matrices, preserving radiation-induced structural changes that would otherwise be altered during preparation.


Three-dimensional approaches such as focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy allow reconstruction of subsurface structures, including crack paths and porosity networks. This volumetric capability is particularly valuable for fatigue assessment in alloys and composites, where internal defects may compromise long-term structural integrity.


By uniting surface imaging, chemical mapping and volumetric reconstruction, microscopy enables a comprehensive understanding of how materials respond to radiation, vacuum and thermal extremes. These insights support predictive models and guide preventive engineering strategies. Such datasets increasingly feed into machine- learning models that simulate long-term degradation, helping engineers reduce the number of physical life-cycle tests required.


Verifying additive manufacturing for space applications


Additive manufacturing (AM) is increasingly used in aerospace for its ability to produce lightweight lattice structures, consolidated geometries and complex forms that cannot be made conventionally. For spaceflight, the potential for in-orbit production adds further value. Yet AM introduces microstructural complexities that must be quantified before flight qualification. Porosity, unmelted powder particles and anisotropic grain growth can form weak points that reduce fatigue life.


Figure 1: SEM overview of AA2024 aluminum alloy after T3 (solution treated, cold worked, naturally aged), T6 (solution treated, artificially aged), and T81 (solution treated, cold worked, artificially aged) heat treatments. The BSE images highlight differences in intermetallic particle distribution (top), while the EBSD orientation maps reveal variations in grain structure and crystallographic orientation (bottom). These results demonstrate how integrated SEM–EBSD workflows enable comprehensive microstructural analysis to optimise the performance of aerospace-grade aluminum alloys.


Microscopy provides a rigorous framework for assessing AM materials. Correlative workflows that combine scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) allow engineers to evaluate surface quality, chemical composition and crystallographic texture within the same region. EDS identifies inclusions or unmelted particles, whereas EBSD maps grain orientations that influence anisotropic mechanical behaviour and can reveal build-related structural signatures.


76


INTERNATIONAL LABMATE - FEBRUARY 2026


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84