Spanish Nanocoating Reduces Satellite Damage from Multipactor Effect
Researchers at Spain’s CSIC Institute of Materials Science in Madrid, led by Lidia Martínez, have developed a nanostructured coating for satellite components. The coating consists of gold and silver nanoparticles 4–8 nm in size and is deposited using an ultra‑high‑vacuum gas‑aggregation technique that leaves no solvents or residues.
In ESA‑accredited laboratory tests the new coating lowered secondary‑electron emission by roughly 30 % compared with the conventional Alodine coating, which has long protected equipment but is hazardous to workers and the environment. The energy‑cutoff threshold – the point where the material begins to generate more electrons than it receives – improved by up to 300 % in some configurations. Six‑month ageing trials at 150 °C, simulating solar exposure, showed a modest performance decline, yet the nanocoating still outperformed freshly applied Alodine.
A joint European patent application for the technology was filed in July 2025 and is currently under examination, marking a potential shift in how the aerospace industry mitigates the long‑standing multipactor problem.
Entities
European Patent Office · European Space Agency (ESA) · Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM) · Lidia Martínez · Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Six‑month ageing tests at 150 °C show a slight performance drop but the coating remains superior to fresh Alodine. de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · it.euronews.com · tr.euronews.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The coating was evaluated in ESA‑accredited laboratories. de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · it.euronews.com · tr.euronews.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] A joint European patent application for the nanocoating was filed in July 2025 and is under examination. de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · it.euronews.com · tr.euronews.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The new nanocoating reduces secondary electron emission by about 30 % compared with Alodine. de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · it.euronews.com · tr.euronews.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Alodine coating provides protection but is hazardous to human health and the environment. de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · it.euronews.com · tr.euronews.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The research was led by Lidia Martínez of the CSIC Institute of Materials Science in Madrid. de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · it.euronews.com · tr.euronews.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] In some configurations the energy‑cutoff threshold improves up to 300 % compared with Alodine. de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · it.euronews.com · tr.euronews.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Multipactor effect causes irreversible damage to satellite components such as antennas and waveguides. de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · it.euronews.com · tr.euronews.com