{"id":517139,"date":"2026-03-11T13:53:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T13:53:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/517139\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T13:53:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T13:53:09","slug":"finding-a-nanoscale-solution-to-safer-spaceflight-mit-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/517139\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding a nanoscale solution to safer spaceflight | MIT News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI\u2019ve loved space for as long as I can remember,\u201d says Palak Patel, a sixth-year doctoral student in MIT\u2019s Department of Mechanical Engineering<\/a> (MechE). As a girl, she \u201cdevoured\u201d books about planets in the solar system, and her parents nurtured her growing interest in space through visits to observatories, air and space museums, and NASA centers. Spending time with her grandfather, who oversaw the radiation protection division of India\u2019s Bhabha Atomic Research Center, also made a big impression on her.<\/p>\n

Now, Patel specializes in developing advanced materials that could transform the future of human spaceflight. \u201cMy research fundamentally tries to figure out how to keep astronauts safe in space,\u201d she says. From designing radiation-shielding nanocomposites to training as an analog astronaut, she\u2019s at the forefront of work that bridges the nanoscale and interplanetary scale.<\/p>\n

Born in the United States, she moved to India at age 13. As an undergraduate in mechanical engineering there, she became heavily focused on research. Patel interned at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) during her senior year, where she was drawn to the challenges of space-grade manufacturing. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the few areas where you need things to be really precise and clean and perfect,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

After graduation, she joined a company that built components for ISRO missions as a project engineer. She was in charge of setting up a facility and standard operating procedure for manufacturing rectangular aluminum waveguide bends and twists for satellites \u2014 a process that she had helped ISRO develop and optimize as an intern. The experience cemented her interest in space research \u2014 and prompted her application to MIT. \u201cI wanted something a bit more technical, a bit more research-focused,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Harnessing the power of nanotubes<\/p>\n

At MIT, Patel joined the lab of Brian Wardle in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics<\/a> (AeroAstro). She specializes in synthesizing nanotubes and manufacturing multifunctional nanocomposites \u2014 tiny cylindrical structures with hollow cores, known for their remarkable strength and versatility.<\/p>\n

For her master\u2019s degree, she used her mechanical engineering expertise to integrate nanotubes into existing aerospace materials. \u201cModern-day airplanes are more than 50 percent composite materials \u2014 glass fiber, carbon, fiber composites,\u201d she explains.\u00a0\u201cPutting carbon nanotubes into existing composites can improve their mechanical properties and add multifunctionalities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond structural enhancement, the nanotubes provide additional functionalities. For instance, integrating nanotubes into composite materials allows airplane wings to resist ice formation, extending flight durations. The materials can also help detect cracks before catastrophic failures occur.<\/p>\n

After finishing her master\u2019s studies, Patel decided she wanted to focus explicitly on space applications, so Wardle connected her with colleagues at NASA. One of them, Valerie Wiesner \u2014 a NASA scientist who would later become her research mentor \u2014 introduced Patel to boron nitride nanotubes, which have a different superpower: radiation shielding.<\/p>\n

Developing safer materials for spaceflight<\/p>\n

Ionizing radiation is one of the biggest obstacles to space travel. When space radiation hits the aluminum used in most spacecraft, it can create dangerous secondary neutrons \u2014 a serious risk for humans on board. \u201cYou can\u2019t safely travel to Mars with the current state-of-the-art materials,\u201d Patel says.<\/p>\n

Boron nitride nanotubes offer a lightweight, high-performance way to block that radiation without compromising mechanical integrity. And thanks to a breakthrough process developed in Wardle\u2019s lab, Patel can synthesize them at concentrations far beyond NASA\u2019s previous limits \u2014 up to 50 percent by weight, compared to 5-10 percent in earlier composites.<\/p>\n

This kind of work requires an unusual blend of disciplines, and Patel credits her coursework at MIT for helping her build a strong foundation. \u201cWhen you think about manufacturing on a large scale, you\u2019re like, I could just figure out how to cut this. But then, on a micro and nano scale, you can\u2019t physically take a knife and cut anything. You have to think about chemical methods and atomic scale synthesis and processes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patel\u2019s research earned her a prestigious NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities fellowship, which allows her to regularly test her materials at multiple NASA sites. \u201cMIT is the only place where you can synthesize these nanotubes the way we do,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019ve got some results that look great.\u201d<\/p>\n

In May 2025, Patel took part in a microgravity flight to assess the feasibility of manufacturing these materials in space. The mission was successful: The nanotubes she manufactured have since made it to the International Space Station (ISS).<\/p>\n

In addition to her primary research on boron nitride nanotubes, Patel also participates in NASA competitions aimed at solving practical space exploration challenges. Her first project involved developing a system to drill into lunar and Martian surfaces to extract water, tapping her hands-on engineering skills. These competitions have not only provided her with practical experience, but have also led to additional collaborations with NASA scientists.<\/p>\n

Patel also participated in a Swiss-based analog mission called Asclepios III<\/a>, serving as the CAPCOM (capsule communicator) for the analog astronaut team. The 14-day mission involved extreme environment training. \u201cWe did mini-parabolic flights to where you can experience microgravity in a plane, which is really nice. And it was in Italy, over the Alps, so that made it twice as nice!\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best part of MIT\u201d<\/p>\n

When she\u2019s not at NASA, Patel splits her time between the AeroAstro and MechE departments \u2014 and between her lab work and her hobbies. Most of her extracurricular activities involve her friends, whether it\u2019s paint nights (painting planets in abstract form is one of her favorite subjects), playing soccer, or exploring the outdoors, especially skiing, hiking, kayaking, and camping. \u201cMy time with friends here at MIT has been really important to me. I\u2019ve made so many important friendships along the way,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Now in the home stretch of her PhD, Patel is focusing on developing novel materials for spaceflight applications, from improving thermal protection systems to safeguard astronauts during atmospheric re-entry to mitigating the impact of lunar dust \u2014 a significant problem during the Apollo missions, she notes. \u201cThe dust, sharp and electrostatic, stuck to everything and cut through spacesuits.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduating, she plans to continue working on technologies that support human spaceflight. \u201cThe space industry is at a really exciting stage with the return to the moon and the focus on getting humans to Mars. I think it would be really fun to enter the industry at the moment and work closer to where all the action is happening. I imagine it being very similar to how people felt working on the Apollo, space shuttle, and ISS missions years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

No matter where her career leads her next, Patel feels well prepared.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are amazing opportunities at MIT, and I\u2019ve gotten to work on some really cool projects,\u201d she says. \u201cBut it\u2019s only cool because I get to work with other people. The students, the staff, the professors \u2014 they\u2019re the best part of MIT.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cI\u2019ve loved space for as long as I can remember,\u201d says Palak Patel, a sixth-year doctoral student in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":517140,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[94467,233794,233792,233797,233795,4865,152745,233791,86573,128736,160608,233796,166177,79,193,233793],"class_list":{"0":"post-517139","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-apollo-missions","9":"tag-asclepios","10":"tag-boron-nitride-nanotubes","11":"tag-brian-wardle","12":"tag-indian-space-research-organization-isro","13":"tag-international-space-station-iss","14":"tag-ionizing-radiation","15":"tag-mit-aeroastro","16":"tag-mit-meche","17":"tag-mit-student-profile","18":"tag-nasa-mission","19":"tag-palak-patel","20":"tag-radiation-shielding","21":"tag-science","22":"tag-space","23":"tag-space-shuttle-program"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=517139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517139\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/517140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=517139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=517139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=517139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}