LSIWC research receives recognition from the Latvian Academy of Sciences
The evaluation of the applications submitted for the Latvian Academy of Sciences' Most Significant Scientific Achievements in 2024 competition has been completed. Forty-seven applications were evaluated this year: 26 in the natural sciences, engineering and technology, and medical and health sciences, 16 in the humanities and social sciences, and 5 in the agricultural sciences. Twelve entries were named winners by the LAS.
Among the most significant achievements in Latvian science in 2024 is the research cycle of the Polymer Laboratory of the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, which has already resulted in a material that has been used to cryo-insulate the fuel tank of the European Space Agency's Arian-6 launch vehicle and has successfully managed its first flight into space.
The tradition of summarising and evaluating the achievements in all fields of science on an annual basis was introduced by the Latvian Academy of Sciences in 2002. The aim of the competition is to promote Latvian scientific achievements, and it has become one of the most important events of the year in Latvian scientific life. All the award-winning research can be found here.
Description of the scientific achievement "First flight of the European Ariane-6 launcher with a cryogenic insulation material developed in Latvia":
One of the major challenges facing space rocket designers is to develop technologies and materials that can thermally insulate the rocket's fuel tanks (liquefied oxygen and hydrogen). The insulation of these fuel tanks is crucial, as the insulation material has to withstand the cryo-shock that occurs at very low temperatures (down to -253°C) and the loads that occur when the rocket lifts off. The European Space Agency's Ariane-6 rocket also uses liquefied hydrogen and oxygen for both the main stage and upper stage, and it was necessary to develop a suitable insulation material for the fuel tanks.
The Polymer Laboratory of the LSIWC has long collaborated with the European Space Agency in the development of such thermal insulation material and its application technology. As a result of this cooperation, a unique cryo-insulation material was designed, developed, tested and certified from a laboratory model to space flight, and this material, obtained from a formulation developed by Latvian scientists, was also successfully applied for the insulation of the upper stage of the newest generation European space launch vehicle Ariane-6, whose first flight took place on 9 July 2024.
Involved researchers: Uģis Cābulis, Vladimirs Jakušins, Laima Vēvere, Beatrise Stūre-Šķēla.
Congratulations to our colleagues for this recognition!
