Ceramic Matrix Composite
ARCEON will also be a part of the LEAP mission, the pre-cursor mission of the Lunar Zebro, which aims to test critical sub-systems of the Lunar Zebro rover. The LEAP instruments will be attached to ARCEON’s CMC plate, which will ensure payload stability due to extremely low co-efficient of thermal expansion and wide range of thermal stability. ARCEON believes that CMC’s have tremendous potential, not only in the aerospace but also energy, and automotive industry. The Lunar Zebro mission will prove the reliability of this material and open a vast horizon for it
“CMC is one of the best suited materials for space applications as it offers highest environmental stability with outgassing below detection limits, near zero coefficient of thermal expansion, wide range of thermal resistance (from cryogenic to 1600 °C and above), high specific strength, corrosion resistance and, most importantly: it is 25% lighter than aluminium alloys. CMC parts are not at all influenced by moisture. Hence, no swelling will occur during assembly and transport on earth, and therefore no changes on geometry will occur after release in space. Due to the lack of polymers, CMC is also stable for long-term in space environment, which is characterised by vacuum and irradiation, and will not get brittle even at extremely low temperatures”, Bernhard Heidenreich, Co-founder of ARCEON, stated.
