Academician Wei Bingbo's team drives breakthroughs in China's space materials science
The space materials science experimental system has cracked the problem of high-temperature metal solidification, helping China's space station carry out on-orbit research Wei Bingbo's team has pursued independent innovation for over 30 years, setting a new record of 3100°C. Click to learn about the technological breakthrough
Academician Wei Bingbo of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and his team have long been conducting research around the solidification science of metallic materials and space materials science. They have independently developed a variety of experimental equipment for abnormal solidification, providing important experimental means for related fields.
According to reports, the team won first prize in the 2025 National Technological Invention Award with the project “Technology and Scientific Experimental System for Abnormal Modulation of HighTemperature Metallic Materials under Extreme Space Conditions.” Behind the project lies the team’s more than 30 years of persistent research on space materials experiments and its scientific accumulation in simulating the microgravity environment of space from the ground.
The article says that Wei Bingbo’s team has successively developed five types of experimental equipment, including electrostatic levitation, electromagnetic levitation, ultrasonic levitation, aerodynamic levitation, and freefall systems, and has sent a variety of highperformance refractory alloy samples to the China Space Station for inorbit experiments, obtaining important scientific data. Among them, the tungsten alloy experiment also heated the material to above 3100°C, setting a new world record in the field.
Wei Bingbo said that the team has long been committed to solving key problems in space materials science and hopes to promote more original achievements for China in this field through independent innovation.