An innovative national initiative seeks to position Chile as a relevant player in developing technology for the space industry. It is a project recently awarded in the Fondef, competition, led by Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (UAI) and directed by Dr. Alejandro Pereira, which brings together the Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CEDENNA), the Chilean Air Force (FACH) and the Spanish company Nanostine. The common goal: designing advanced coatings for nanosatellites that improve their performance and resistance in the space environment.
The deputy director of this project is Dr. Juan Escrig, Dean of the Faculty of Science of the Universidad de Santiago de Chile and CEDENNA researcher. He explains that this award represents “a clear sign of the potential that national science has when it is organized around the country’s strategic challenges”. For CEDENNA, the project is especially relevant, as it reinforces its leadership in designing nanostructured materials with functional properties, developed to respond to the concrete needs of highly technological sectors.
Smart coatings for an extreme environment
The heart of the project is the development of ultra-thin, lightweight coatings based on magnetic nanofibers, capable of acting as selective barriers against electromagnetic interference that affects satellite operation. These coatings are manufactured using advanced techniques such as electrospinning and atomic layer deposition (ALD), which make it possible to control their structure and magnetic behavior at the nanoscale.
“In simple terms, it is a kind of ‘protective skin’ that covers the nanosatellites, selectively filtering electromagnetic signals according to their wavelength. This improves the stability and accuracy of communications in space,” explains Dr. Escrig.
One of the most outstanding advantages of this technology is its ability to offer highly efficient protection without adding significant weight or volume to the satellite, a critical aspect in the space industry. “Reducing a satellite’s weight can translate into savings of up to one million dollars per unit during launch,” the researcher explains.
In addition to its direct application in the aerospace industry, this technology has high potential for transfer to other sectors such as terrestrial telecommunications, defense, medicine or precision electronics, where electromagnetic interference also represents a challenge.
CEDENNA’s role: frontier science at the service of technological development
CEDENNA’s Nanomagnetism Laboratory, directed by Dr. Escrig, plays a central role in this interdisciplinary research. It is where micromagnetic simulations are developed, ALD coatings are produced and the magnetic properties of the nanofibers are characterized, using state-of-the-art equipment such as the ALD system and the magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometer (NanoMOKE3).
The initiative is also complemented by other lines of research in the laboratory, such as Fondecyt Regular project No. 1240829, focused on the use of magnetic nanotubes in biomedical and environmental applications. Both lines share the same principle: studying and controlling the magnetic properties of materials at the nanoscale to address global challenges through science.
“Our goal is to translate the principles of nanomagnetism into concrete technological solutions, strengthening collaboration between basic science, industry and defense,” concludes Dr. Escrig.
This project reaffirms CEDENNA’s ability to lead high-impact research and help position Chile as an emerging benchmark in nanotechnology with aerospace applications
