Christopher J. Wohl, Ph.D. is a supervisory research materials engineer in the Structural Mechanics and Concepts Branch at the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) in Hampton, VA. He received a B.S. (Chemistry) from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2002) and a Ph.D. (Physical Chemistry) from Virginia Commonwealth University (2006). Dr. Wohl’s research includes advanced materials, polymer synthesis and physics, surface engineering, interfacial interactions, and composites manufacturing. He is the LaRC point of contact for passive lunar dust mitigation research.

2025 NASA Symp

Welding thermoplastic composites for in-space manufacturing applications

Without in-space manufacturing, humanity’s extraterrestrial capabilities are limited by launch mass and volume constraints. Integration of thermoplastic composite materials is one of many advanced manufacturing approaches being pursued to enable manufacturing of large structures off planet. Inclusion of these materials will require determination of targeted properties and characterization in extreme space environments. Further, manufacturing techniques, such as welding, will need to be adopted and certified for in-space operations. Progress toward realizing these capabilities will be discussed.