PolyU’s first in-orbit material experiment testbed completed catalyst material experiments in Low Earth Orbit

The Nation’s first reusable and returnable satellite, Shijian-19, was successfully retrieved and returned to Earth after conducting multiple space experiments in Low Earth Orbit. Among the payloads was an in-orbit material experiment testbed developed by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), which is Hong Kong’s first reusable experimental payload to return from space. The China National Space Administration held the payloads handover ceremony for the Shijian-19 satellite in Beijing last Thursday (24 October), marking the successful completion of the satellite’s return mission.

Led by Prof. Daniel LAU, Chair Professor of Nanomaterials and Head of the Department of Applied Physics of PolyU, who is also a member of the University’s Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE), the project was jointly developed with the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the testbed was designed and manufactured at PolyU’s Industrial Centre. The entire research and production process was completed on the PolyU campus.

This project aims to study the effects of microgravity, vacuum, and radiation on the effectiveness of high-performance catalysts, laying a foundation for space application catalyst materials for producing fuels, oxygen, and specific chemicals.

The equipment design considered the averaging material’s radiation exposure rate and high penetrability to improve overall testing efficiency. The payload can be rapidly reused without replacing core components, significantly reducing the overall cost of future experiment opportunities through its reusability.

Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, commended the research team on their outstanding achievement, and said, “PolyU has been actively contributing to various national space projects. We are thrilled to see PolyU’s independently developed and produced in-orbit material experiment testbed aboard the Shijian-19 satellite, demonstrating the University’s research strength in interdisciplinary fields that include deep space exploration, materials science, and engineering. We look forward to fostering further research innovation and contributing to the Nation’s goal of becoming a global leader in aerospace and technology.”

The design of the catalyst material testing device is based on Prof. Lau’s earlier development of the APMA system for carbon dioxide electroreduction, which can convert carbon dioxide into ethylene for industrial purposes to provide an effective solution for reducing CO2 emissions. This research has already led to collaborations with an energy and chemical enterprise and received a gold medal at the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, Switzerland. At the time, PolyU won awards for 28 inventions, including the Mars Landing Surveillance Camera for the Tianwen-1 Mars Soft Landing Mission, developed by Prof. YUNG Kai-leung, Director of PolyU’s RCDSE. Prof. Lau recalled that the idea for this interdisciplinary collaboration originated at the award ceremony in Geneva, “Prof. Yung’s team suggested that my new catalyst could be applied to deep space exploration. We returned to the University and immediately began exploring the collaboration, conducting multiple tests on campus before the testbed was finally sent into space.”

The in-orbit material experiment testbed has been retrieved and will be analysed in PolyU’s laboratory. Prof. Lau added, “The team hopes to explore the effects of space environments on different materials, which could provide new insights for future deep space exploration missions.”

PolyU’s RCDSE  has already launched several fundamental research projects, including in materials science, microbiology, lunar base construction technologies, remote sensing technology, lunar regolith studies, and space resource utilisation. Additionally, the research centre is involved in the development of microsatellites and CubeSats, showcasing PolyU’s comprehensive strategy in deep space research. Looking ahead, PolyU will continue to actively participate in major national space missions.

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