Advances in Composite Materials for Space Applications: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Space structures are perhaps the most complicated man-made structures due to their extremely harsh and complex operational environments. For these structures, materials serve as crucial technology drivers. Composite materials are increasingly used in space structures due to their specific mechanical properties, customizability, and ability to easily acquire multifunctional and smart characteristics. This review critically examines the state-of-the-art in composite materials application and the computational models used to design and analyze composite space structures.