How Making Graphene Aerogel in Space Will Shape Future Exploration

Graphene and aerogels are both special in their own right, but what happens when researchers make graphene aerogel in space? That's exactly what a team of scientists is trying to understand at this extreme lab.
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These scientists are working on an experiment to go onboard the ISS, that if successful, could have huge impacts on in-space manufacturing and future deep space missions.

So what exactly makes graphene aerogel so special? Graphene is composed of the element carbon and it's actually just a single atomic layer of carbon in a honeycomb lattice.

Graphene is an amazing material because it is strong—stronger than steel. It’s also electrically conductive, so carriers can transport within graphene at really fast speeds. And so it has applications in energy storage, like batteries or super capacitors. Understandably, there’s been a ton of hype around graphene, with many calling it a “wonder material."

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Read More:
What could we make if we learned how to manufacture things in space?
https://engineering.stanford.edu/magazine/article/what-could-we-make-if-we-learned-how-manufacture-things-space
“Over the next year or so, Senesky and her colleagues will prepare a set of experiments that will take graphene aerogel somewhere it has never gone before – to the International Space Station.”

Graphene: Making a wonder material more wonderful
https://phys.org/news/2020-05-graphene-material.html
“Graphene is a form of the chemical element carbon. Well-known forms of carbon include the world's hardest material, diamond, and the soft black material known as the "lead" in a pencil, which is graphite.”

Aerogels: Thinner, Lighter, Stronger
https://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/aerogels.html
“Aerogels are among the lightest solid materials known to man. They are created by combining a polymer with a solvent to form a gel, and then removing the liquid from the gel and replacing it with air. Aerogels are extremely porous and very low in density. They are solid to the touch. This translucent material is considered one of the finest insulation materials available.”

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