Abstract
Fabricating and repairing techniques based on combustion of thermite mixtures are of great interest for space applications due to low energy consumption and self-sustained behavior of the involved chemical reactions. Two such techniques investigated in the present paper are exothermic welding and combustion-based production of structural materials from lunar regolith. In both cases, the occurring combustion of thermite-type mixtures may be affected by reduced gravity. The present paper presents experimental results on the exothermic welding of copper rods and on the combustion of a lunar regolith simulant mixed with magnesium, obtained during parabolic flights of reduced gravity research aircraft.
Published Version
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