Cherston, Juliana, and Joseph A. Paradiso. "SpaceSkin: development of aerospace-grade electronic textile for simultaneous protection and high velocity impact characterization." Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems 2019. Vol. 10970. International Society for Optics and Photonics, 2019.

Abstract

This paper introduces the concept of an aerospace-grade electronic textile and summarizes design studies and early prototype development for on-fabric hypervelocity impact characterization. Whereas most damage detection technologies for aerospace systems rely on enhancements to the structure's inner shell, the outermost protective skin of a space habitat or a spacesuit - traditionally a woven fabric - is directly exposed to the relevant environment. Therefore, we propose weaving sensory fibers into traditional fibrous aerospace skins for direct measurement of local conditions, yielding a material that can simultaneously sense and protect. Specifically, this paper documents design considerations for multifunctional Beta cloth, in which piezoelectric yarn is directly woven into Teflon-coated fiberglass, the material used as the outermost skin of the International Space Station. A review of hypervelocity plasma generation then motivates a strawman design for on-textile plasma charge and RF emission sensing, which may be useful for further characterization of hypervelocity impactors. An aerospace-grade electronic textile is distinct from a traditional e-textile in that it must be validated not only for its sensing capabilities but also for its robustness to hazards presented in a space environment.