Perspective on liquid metal enabled space science and technology

With the rapid development of deep space exploration and commercial flight, a series of tough scientific and technological challenges were raised, which urgently require ever advanced technologies to tackle with. Recently, liquid metals, as a kind of newly emerging functional material, are attracting various attention and many breakthroughs have been made on earth. Such a scientific trend also suggests promising approaches for solving those extreme challenges in space environment. To fulfill the increasing needs thus involved, this article is dedicated to systematically introducing liquid metal material and its related disciplines into space science and technology. Firstly, existing application of liquid metal cooling for space nuclear power was summarized. Then, some potential space practices were tentatively put forward, such as liquid metal thermal interface medium, liquid metal phase change material, liquid metal convection cooling, metal alloy thermal storage, liquid metal electromagnetic shielding and liquid metal electronic printing. Fundamental as well as practical issues that would differ with earth were interpreted. Finally, potential liquid metal space experiments were proposed to investigate the liquid metal hydrodynamic characteristic, wettability and phase change mechanism in space physical environment. Overall, liquid metal enabled space science and technology investigation will not only help efficiently solve the current and future space technological problems, but also aid to stimulate the advancement of liquid metal space material science.