What Nanomaterials Are Used in Space?

By Taha KhanReviewed by Louis CastelSep 3 2026

Spacecraft operate in one of the most demanding environments engineers face. Their hardware must withstand harsh conditions, including intense ionizing radiation, the near-perfect vacuum of space, temperature swings of several hundred degrees as the spacecraft moves in and out of sunlight, and the constant threat of micrometeoroid impacts.

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Every component must also meet strict mass limits, as each kilogram launched comes at a significant cost. Nanomaterials can help address these constraints, offering greater strength, lower weight, improved electrical performance, and longer service life than conventional materials.¹

Why Use Nanomaterials in Space

The central engineering challenge of any space mission is doing more with less mass. Nanomaterials help by combining several desirable properties in a single material. Carbon-based nanostructures can reinforce composites for higher strength-to-weight ratios, conduct heat away from sensitive electronics, shield against electromagnetic interference, resist radiation damage, and carry electrical current. This multifunctionality is the key advantage, as replacing several single-purpose parts with one lighter, integrated component reduces both mass and assembly complexity.^1,2

Carbon Nanotubes: Lightweight Structural Reinforcement

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are cylindrical carbon molecules with an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, with a tensile strength many times that of steel at roughly one-sixth the density.³ When dispersed in polymer matrices, they produce electrically conductive composites suitable for spacecraft structural panels, booms, and satellite bus components.¹ Lockheed Martin has evaluated CNT-based tubes and sandwich panels on the Juno spacecraft, and composite suppliers to the aerospace sector are scaling CNT-reinforced prepregs toward flight hardware.³ CNTs also underpin long-term research into a space-elevator tether, although this remains a distant concept limited by the difficulty of manufacturing continuous, defect-free fibres.¹

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Graphene for Thermal and Electronic Performance

Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms, offers very high in-plane thermal conductivity and electrical mobility. These properties make it useful for spreading heat across small satellites, shielding electronics from electromagnetic interference, and building flexible circuits and sensors.² Graphene-enhanced loop heat pipes have been flown and studied in microgravity, and graphene coatings only microns thick have been proposed for thermal control and radiation attenuation on CubeSats and high-performance electronics.^4,5 The same material is also being investigated for compact energy-storage electrodes and thermal coatings.

Nanocoatings Protecting Spacecraft

Surfaces in orbit degrade quickly, so thin nanostructured coatings can be used to protect them. In low Earth orbit, atomic oxygen erodes polymers and composites. In this regard, coatings incorporating polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) and related nanofillers resist this erosion, and some can autonomously heal small areas of damage.^6,7 Related nanocoatings provide anti-corrosion protection, ultraviolet resistance, self-cleaning surfaces, and ice-resistant films for launch-vehicle hardware.⁶

Nanomaterials in Space Power Systems

Power generation and storage also benefit from nanoscale engineering. For instance, nanostructured electrodes and supercapacitors raise the energy and power density of spacecraft batteries, whereas perovskite and quantum-dot solar cells provide high efficiency at very low mass.⁸ Quantum dots can passivate defects and tune the absorption of perovskite cells, improving both efficiency and stability. These qualities are valuable for satellites, small spacecraft, and proposed lunar surface power systems, where launch mass is important.⁸

Nanomaterials for Radiation Shielding

Protecting crews and electronics from galactic cosmic rays and solar particle events is a major obstacle for deep-space travel. Hydrogen-rich nanocomposites are effective because hydrogen shields efficiently per unit mass.⁹ In this regard, Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) made of low atomic-number elements are very important. They combine structural strength with strong neutron absorption, and hydrogen-loaded BNNTs have been modelled to shield noticeably more radiation than the aluminum alloys currently used.^9,10 Polyethylene nanocomposites are also under study and are directly relevant to NASA's Artemis program, the Lunar Gateway, and future Mars missions.⁹.

Nanosensors and Smart Materials

Nanomaterials also make spacecraft more aware of their own condition. CNT networks embedded in composites act as strain and damage sensors, enabling structural health monitoring that detects cracks or impacts as they occur.^11,12 Nanoscale pressure and gas sensors, together with MEMS and NEMS devices, support autonomous spacecraft, pressurized habitats, and planetary rovers by providing dense, lightweight instrumentation.¹¹

What’s Next?

Emerging work points toward self-healing nanocomposites that repair micro-damage without intervention, multifunctional structural batteries that store energy within load-bearing parts, and printable nanomaterial inks for electronics.¹¹ Metamaterials engineered at the nanoscale could control heat and electromagnetic waves in new ways, and nanomaterial feedstocks may eventually supply in-space manufacturing of components directly in orbit.

Industrial Outlook 

The ecosystem spans established primes and specialist suppliers. Lockheed Martin and Airbus Defense and Space integrate advanced composites into flight hardware, while NASA and the European Space Agency fund much of the underlying technology development. Material suppliers such as Nanografi, Graphenea, Oxford Instruments, Huntsman Advanced Materials, and Hexcel provide nanomaterials and nanocomposite prepregs, and satellite builders such as NanoAvionics adopt advanced materials in small-satellite platforms. Growing commercial demand from small-satellite constellations, reusable launch vehicles, lunar infrastructure, and deep-space missions is accelerating the move from laboratory samples to qualified flight parts.^1,3

Conclusion

Nanomaterials are steadily transitioning from research laboratories into operational spacecraft, where they enable systems that are lighter, stronger, more efficient, and more durable. As agencies and companies prepare for sustained lunar operations and eventual crewed Mars missions, these materials are expected to play a central role in shielding astronauts, managing heat, powering habitats, and reducing the mass that makes ambitious missions possible.

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References

1. Zecchi, S., Cristoforo, G., et al. (2024). A concise review of recent advancements in carbon nanotubes for aerospace applications. Micromachines, 16(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16010053
2. Liu, H., Ji, X., Wang, W., & Zhou, L. (2024). 3D-networks based polymer composites for multifunctional thermal management and electromagnetic protection: A mini review. Materials. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11122969/
3. Syduzzaman, M. (2024). Carbon nanotubes: Structure, properties and applications in the aerospace industry. Results in Materials. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590048X24001286
4. Scalia, T., Bonventre, L., & Terranova, M. L. (2023). From protosolar space to space exploration: The role of graphene in space technology and economy. Nanomaterials. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9963118/
5. Toto, E., Lambertini, L., Laurenzi, S., & Santonicola, M. G. (2024). Recent advances and challenges in polymer-based materials for space radiation shielding. Polymers, 16(3), 382. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16030382
6. Wang, X., Li, Y., Qian, Y., Qi, H., Li, J., & Sun, J. (2018). Mechanically robust atomic oxygen-resistant coatings capable of autonomously healing damage in low Earth orbit space environment. Advanced Materials. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30022535/
7. Fuchs, W. K., Sarantes, C., Prine, N., Gu, X., & Wiggins, J. (2021). Atomic oxygen-resistant epoxy-amines containing phenylphosphine oxide as low Earth orbit stable polymers. ACS Applied Polymer Materials. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsapm.0c01017
8. Liu, W., Liu, C., Ouyang, Y., Cao, Q., Goga, U., Zhang, X., ... & Liu, H. (2026). Quantum Dot Strategies Toward Performance Improvement of Perovskite Solar Cells. Nanomaterials, 16(15), 913. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16150913
9. Thibeault, S. A., et al. (2012). Radiation shielding materials containing hydrogen, boron, and nitrogen: Systematic computational and experimental study. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. https://www.nasa.gov/general/radiation-shielding-materials-containing-hydrogen-boron-and-nitrogen-systematic-computational-and-experimental-study/
10. Ghazizadeh, M., Estevez, J. E., & Kelkar, A. D. (2015). Boron nitride nanotubes for space radiation shielding. Int. J. Nano Stud. Technol. https://scidoc.org/IJNST-2167-8685-04-001e.php
11. Martin, W. H., Turicek, J. S., & Patrick, J. F. (2025). Integrated damage sensing and self-healing in polymers and composites: Progress and opportunities. Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1045389X251346315
12. Paleari, L., Bragaglia, M., Fabbrocino, F., & Nanni, F. (2021). Structural monitoring of glass fiber/epoxy laminates by means of carbon nanotubes and carbon black self-monitoring plies. Nanomaterials,.. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11061543

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