HEI samples successfully installed on the ISS!

Astronauts successfully installed the samples produced at HEI as part of the ESA/CNES Euro Ageing Material program outside the International Space Station (ISS) using a robotic arm. This milestone marks a key step in studying these unique materials in an extreme space environment.

Starting today, the experiment is expected to return on the SpaceX-33 mission at the end of December 2025, after nearly a full year of exposure to the harsh conditions of space. However, the return date may still change depending on future missions and other scheduled experiments aboard the ISS.

This experiment is part of a broader program at the Haute École d’Ingénierie (HEI) – HES-SO Valais-Wallis, which develops shape memory material mechanisms for space applications.

Thanks to the collaboration between the Mechanical Design Research Group and Powder Technology and Advanced Materials, Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) alloys with exceptional properties—capable of returning to their original shape through heating after mechanical deformation (shape memory effect) and exhibiting outstanding elasticity (superelasticity)—are opening new opportunities for space missions where reliability is crucial.

"The goal of this experiment is to study the ageing of materials in low Earth orbit. The results will help verify the suitability of these materials for designing mechanisms and actuators for various space missions, as well as other technological applications on Earth," said Professor Gabriel Paciotti.

The latest set of exciting images, courtesy of European Space Agency - ESA and NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration, associated with our participation in the Euro Materials Ageing programme.

Photos : ©ISS/NASA/ESA, 2024

Click for more info