This technology promises to revolutionize spacecraft design, save space, and enhance communication capabilities, opening up new frontiers for exploration and discovery.
The concept is simple yet powerful – instead of conventional electronics modules, they developed hybrid printed circuits that could be fabricated directly onto the spacecraft's structure. These circuits were so thin that the human eye couldn't even discern their existence, with traces measuring just about 30 microns, half the width of a human hair.
The successful experiment was a collaborative effort. Colleagues at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, developed the humidity-sensing ink essential for the printed sensors, while partners from the University of Maryland's Laboratory for Physical Sciences were responsible for creating the circuits.
The implications of printed electronics extend beyond just sensors. A major improvement comes in the predictability and stability of antenna connections and design. Traditionally, antenna connections were made through a process called wire bonding, which could be messy and imprecise., the antenna can be directly printed on curved surfaces, such as the exterior of a rocket or spacecraft.
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