Cheol Park is a senior researcher and a member of NASA Inventors Hall of Fame. His research specializes advanced materials development for extreme space environments, including nanotube synthesis/dispersion, sensing/actuation of nanocomposites, chiral polymer metamaterials, radiation shielding materials, and bio-based sustainable composites and adhesives. For his pioneering work on carbon nanotube, boron nitride nanotube, and radiation shielding materials, he received NASA awards for Invention of the Year Award, Exceptional Scientific Achievement, and Group Silver Achievement Medal (National Pandemic Response Team). He holds a PhD in Macromolecular Science and Engineering (UMichigan).

2025 NASA Symp

2023 NASA Symp

Multifunctional Structural Materials for Sustainable Human Exploration in Extreme Space Environments

Extreme space environments such as space vacuum, radiation, jagged lunar dust, microgravity, high thermal excursion, micrometeoroids, thrust plume ejecta, seismic events, and their synergistically-adverse effects make sustainable space exploration extremely challenging. More robust and sustainable advanced materials and structures are needed to protect crew and equipment to extend space missions longer and safer with minimum service and repair needs. Recent progress of NASA efforts on sustainable multifunctional structural materials will be introduced.