NMT Grad Student Lands Prestigious NASA Fellowship For Materials Research
October 23, 2019
Robert Calvo鈥檚 project is fully funded via competitive grant
SOCORRO, N.M. 鈥� Graduate student Robert Calvo recently was awarded a prestigious NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship to pursue his project in the Materials Engineering Department.
Calvo, along with his advisor Dr. Paul Fuierer, is developing a novel coating and
application process intended for space structures and ships.
鈥淚 was very surprised to get this fellowship,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust excitement. I was still an undergrad when I submitted my proposal. A program like NASA thought my proposal was worthwhile to invest in 鈥� that was overwhelming. I couldn鈥檛 believe it.鈥�
The fellowship is for one year, but renewable for three years. The award covers his tuition and fees, a stipend, and travel. Once his testing has reached a sufficient point at NMT, he鈥檒l spend time at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland to continue testing. He鈥檒l also present his research at a NASA Conference.
Calvo鈥檚 project involves the application of protective ceramic coatings to space structures made of polymeric materials like Mylar and Kapton, which are subject to damage from atomic oxygen in low-Earth orbit.
Existing polymers for space structures are subject to erosion due to atomic oxygen,
which makes up much of the atmosphere in low-Earth orbit. Calvo鈥檚 novel coating can
be applied at room temperature.
鈥淔or the first, time, we can use the dry aerosol deposition process to put nanocrystalline ceramic coatings on low melting-point substrates.,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ith this special process, we can hopefully prevent atomic oxygen erosion of Mylar and Kapton. This will be a new processing methodology for space applications.鈥�
鈥淚 need to produce my films and do mechanical and optical testing,鈥� Calvo said. 鈥淚 need to find the specific parameters to produce the films of exact thickness on these polymeric substrates. I will find the parameters through iterative experiments.鈥�
Once he produces various iterations, he鈥檒l test the films for performance via scanning electron microscope for imaging, scratch testing, and mechanical testing.
鈥淎t Glenn, I鈥檒l take samples to their atomic oxygen beam, where they鈥檒l expose the
films to the conditions of low-Earth orbit,鈥� Calvo said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l see how much it changes.鈥�
鈥淭his process is a jumping-off point,鈥� Calvo said. 鈥淭his has broader implications. The process lends itself to application in space because it only needs vacuum. It can be preformed in low-earth orbit rather than here on earth. It also can be applied to coatings for a wide variety of other space applications such as thermal, radiation and impact protection..鈥�
As an undergrad, he worked three years in Dr. Fuierer鈥檚 aerosol deposition lab. A San Diego native, Calvo earned his bachelor鈥檚 at NMT in May 2019.
鈥� NMT 鈥�