In November 2025, the NASA MIRO IDEAS² Center advanced the development of lightweight, impact-resistant architected materials through a research project led by Co-Investigator Dr. Maksud Rahman. The work focused on the additive manufacturing of high-performance architected ULTEM (polyetherimide) structures using 3D printing techniques.
The research team combined finite element analysis with experimental testing to optimize the internal architecture of the material, including parameters such as cell count and raster angle. Post-processing methods, including thermal annealing, were also evaluated to enhance mechanical strength while maintaining structural integrity.
Ballistic impact testing demonstrated that optimized architected material designs achieved superior impact resistance compared to solid ULTEM control samples while maintaining substantially lower weight. These findings highlight the strong potential of architected materials for lightweight shielding, structural protection, and impact-tolerant components in spacecraft and future lunar surface systems.
This research was conducted under the NASA MIRO IDEAS² Center and co-sponsored by Lockheed Martin.