Contact: Roger J. Morgan
Texas A&M University
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
3123 TAMU College Station,
TX 77843-3123
Tel: (979) 845-1251
rmorgan@mengr.tamu.edu

NASA's future space transportation systems require single stage to orbit (SSTO) vehicles that are reusable. Such vehicles require lightweight, tough, low-cost structures for which health and safety are well characterized. The utilization of new, high performance polymeric matrix fibrous composites (PMFC) for the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen cryogenic fuel tanks will allow critical weight reduction needed for SSTO vehicles.

At present, electron beam (E-Beam) curing of PFMC's offers the potential to fabricate large integrated structures for NASA's future space transportation systems. However, there are a number of fundamental processing issues that need to be characterized before E-Beam composite processing can fulfill NASA needs.

Texas A&M University has initiated an effort that will result in the "Characterization of E-Beam Processes for Aerospace Composites". The ultimate objective of a multi-phased approach to this complex initiative is the utilization of E-Beam curing of polymer matrix fibrous composites in the fabrication of large integrated structures for space transportation systems, thus eliminating the present day size limitations.