Electron beam weldability of a group IAB iron meteorite

Abstract

Electron beam welding, first demonstrated in space on Soyuz 6, and later on the Skylab mission, appears to be the leading candidate for welding structures in space since it is ideally suited for the vacuum of space. These pioneering welding experiments were performed on terrestrial materials such as aluminium, titanium and stainless steel, and the results showed no significant differences from welds made on Earth. Future applications for welding in space include repair of existing structures, research and development activities, and construction of new structures. However, large scale space construction will need to exploit natural space resources for raw materials, and iron is expected to be a key element due to its availability in near-Earth objects. Here, we investigate the weldability of an extraterrestrial group IAB iron meteorite in its native state, and show that further welding innovation is required to directly join meteoritic material due to inherent non-metallic impurities that lead to weld cracking.