Satellite and Space Communication Technology

Materials Science and Applications in Space

Materials science is a syncretic discipline hybridizing metallurgy, ceramics, solid-state physics, and chemistry. It is the first example of a new academic discipline emerging by fusion rather than fission. The accuracy of the materials science portrayed spans a wide range – sometimes it is an extrapolation of existing technology, sometimes it is a physically realistic portrayal of a far-out technology, and sometimes it is simply a plot device that looks scientific, but has no basis in science. This is also the theme of many technical articles, such as Material By Design: Future Science or Science Fiction? found in IEEE Spectrum, the flagship magazine of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.