This paper aims to analyse the state-of-the-art of graphene-based materials and devices designed for use in space. The goal is to summarise emerging research studies, contextualise promising findings, and discuss underway strategies to address some specific space-related problems. To complete our overview of graphene-based technology and address the relevance of graphene in the wide scenario of the space economy, we also provide an analysis of worldwide patents and the scientific literature for aerospace applications in the period 2010–2021. We analysed global trends, country distributions, top assignees, and funding sponsors, evidencing a general increase for the period considered. These indicators, integrated with market information, provide a clear evaluation of the related technology trends and readiness levels.

Graphene-based composite materials are highly sought after for space applications due to their ability to encompass various properties, such as electrical conductivity, thermal resistance, and radiation shielding. This versatility allows for the creation of multifunctional components that can serve various purposes in space. Three-dimensional (3D) printing of composite materials in space offers a versatile and efficient means of manufacturing components, tools, and structures that are tailored to the unique challenges and requirements of space missions. In this work, we aim to develop 3D-printed composites made of medium-density polyethylene (MDPE) matrix and exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets (xGnP) as filler, using fused filament fabrication (FFF). Our research focuses on the challenges associated with the FFF process for fabricating MDPE/xGnP materials, particularly by optimizing filament extrusion and assessing the resulting material properties and space environmental compatibility. Firstly, we optimize the extrusion process, and use the MDPE/xGnP filaments to fabricate 3D-printed samples after defining the FFF parameters. We employ differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to assess the melting properties and crystallization degree of the extruded filaments and 3D-printed samples, providing insights into the relationship between these properties and the characteristics of the initial powders. Electrical and tensile tests are carried out to evaluate the material properties after successfully mitigating challenges, such as warping and inadequate adhesion, to build plates during the printing process. Finally, we subject the 3D-printed composites to outgassing tests under exposure to the AM0 solar spectrum to evaluate their space environmental suitability. The results of this work demonstrate the capability of the FFF-based process to efficiently manufacture components made of MDPE/xGnP composites, providing optimized parameters for their potential in-space fabrication.

Due to the improved spatial resolution, Earth observation (EO) data, either from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) or optical sensor, provide the opportunity to assess earthquake damage of individual buildings. However, the operational use of EO data for earthquake damage mapping is basically limited to the visual inspection of Very High Resolution (VHR) optical imagery. In this work we investigate the feasibility of a damage assessment product at single building scale from a pair of VHR SAR images acquired before and after a seismic event. We perform the change analysis using the Kullbach-Leibler divergence and the intensity ratio and then we associate detected changes to a building map provided as GIS layer. Finally the expected SAR signature of a collapsed building is considered to identify severely damaged buildings. In order to test the proposed methodology we use Spotlight COSMO-SkyMed SAR imagery of L'Aquila (Italy) collected before and after the earthquake occurred on April 6, 2009. A macroseismic survey on the whole central area of L'Aquila city based on the European Macroseismic Scale 1998 is used to assess the capability of VHR SAR images to map damage