Material processing facilities in space

Abstract

Many researchers around the world have lots of interests in discovering what and how may happen when materials processing is conducted in space. Usually, for the investigation of space material sciences, experimental facilities are important and necessary. Up to now, more than one hundred of material experimental facilities have been developed in the world. They include many high-temperature heating furnaces, in situ observation and diagnosis equipments, as well as facilities for crystal growth from water solution in microgravity. Some of them are prepared by international cooperation among two or even more countries. In this chapter, we will give a brief summary for the material processing facilities in the world. The facilities developed in the recent ten years serving on International Space Station (ISS) are particularly focused. Furthermore, some material experimental devices built by China which have served in Chinese recoverable satellites and man-made space crafts are also discussed emphatically.