Recent advances and future perspectives of space materials science

Space materials science is an interdisciplinary research field developed through the interpenetration and combination of materials science and space technology. It originated from the preliminary space exploration experiments during the middle of the 20th century and has grown into a relatively consistent academic branch of materials science owing to the efficient support from the manned space flight enterprises. China is welcoming its own era of space station and thus brings in further opportunities for the thriving materials research field. This overview attempts to summarize the major achievements of the space materials science field in the first two decades of the current century and provide a concise perspective regarding its future advances. The following four aspects are addressed in detail: the physicochemical characteristics of the space environment, liquid state properties and phase transition kinetics of materials in outer space, kinematics of space materials processing, and space modulation of material structures and performances.