Emilie “Mia” Siochi is a research materials engineer in the Advanced Materials & Processing Branch at NASA Langley Research Center. Her work on emerging materials includes computationally guided materials development for structural nanomaterials, bioinspired materials, self-healing materials, antifouling engineered surfaces, additive manufacturing and extreme temperature materials. She’s a proponent of use-inspired research and currently leads multidisciplinary teams developing structural carbon nanotube composites for space applications, and rapid curing resins for the next generation of aircraft.

2024 CME NASA Symposium Abstract

As we extend the reach of humanity beyond Low Earth Orbit to Moon and Mars, stringent mass requirements for affordable space exploration present opportunities to explore innovative lightweight material systems. This presentation will discuss how envisioned future priorities developed by NASA point to capability gaps that can inform where advanced polymers and composites can offer substantial performance benefits over legacy technologies if these are developed with an eye toward insertion into flight opportunities.

2022 CME NASA Symposium Abstract

Advanced technologies can offer substantial performance benefits over legacy technologies. However, insertion into relevant applications can be challenging. As an example, the evolution of structural carbon nanotubes will be presented. Part of the early interest in carbon nanotubes was driven by mechanical properties that have the potential to outperform state-of-the-art structural materials. Lessons learned from approaches taken to mature the technology for aerospace applications will be used to illustrate factors that should be considered in emerging technology development.