Web Magazine
Web Magazine "Possible Future: Case #UTokyo-IIS" is now available online.
This web magazine introduces the various "possible futures" originating from UTokyo-IIS.
Reducing the cost of rocket launches has become an urgent challenge as countries around the world, including Japan, invest heavily in the space industry and competition in space development continues to intensify. Achieving this requires making rockets lighter, and in recent years, a lightweight, resilient composite material known as carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) has come to be used in various parts of rockets. However, developing CFRP fuel tanks--which account for a large portion of a rocket's structure--remains an ongoing challenge. This is because CFRP tanks exposed to cryogenic environments can develop cracks.
Toru Kamita, a visiting professor at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, is working to solve this issue in order to enable the development of CFRP fuel tanks. This research has the potential to transform not only space development but also the future of aircraft and automobiles.
・Developing Lightweight, Resilient CFRP Tanks to Shape the Future of Rocketry
