The secret to protecting next-gen spacecraft might be eggshells
Summary
Researchers propose eggshell-inspired, water-filled aluminum metastructures as a protective layer for spacecraft. The study found that water-filled eggshell arrays outperform simple aluminum plates, reducing projectile velocity by about 65% in impact tests, and upright orientation with the narrow tip touching the top plate enhances energy dissipation. The work, published in the Journal of Applied Physics (2026) by Wang and colleagues, addresses the growing space-debris threat and potential improvements to Whipple shields.