Space radiation can damage satellites − my team discovered that a next-generation material could self-heal when exposed to cosmic rays

A schematic shows a perovskite solar cell being irradiated with a damaging (red) and a healing (green) proton beam. Ahmad Kirmani using Blender

The space environment is harsh and full of extreme radiation. Scientists designing spacecraft and satellites need materials that can withstand these conditions.

In a paper published in January 2024, my team of materials researchers demonstrated that a next-generation semiconductor material called metal-halide perovskite can actually recover and heal itself from radiation damage.