Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #32278: Crystals in Space: Exploring Electroplating of Copper and Bronze in Microgravity

What happens when metals like copper and bronze try to form in a place where gravity is nearly absent? This was the big question that a group of brilliant students from Singapore American School aimed to answer in their space experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Working with Space Tango, Bhattacharya Space Enterprises, and Quest Institute, they launched an investigation into how microgravity affects the crystallization and properties of copper and bronze during the process of electroplating.

Electroplating is a method used to coat one metal with another through the use of electricity. Normally, gravity plays a role in how the atoms settle and organize themselves on the metal surface. But in space, the absence of gravity could change how uniform and pure those coatings become. That’s why this experiment is so important—it could lead to better ways of producing metals for electronics, art, and even spacecraft parts.

By sending their electroplating project into orbit, the students hoped to discover if microgravity improves the smoothness, strength, and conductivity of the electroplated layers. They also studied the size and structure of the crystals formed. These insights might one day help us manufacture better materials not just in space, but back on Earth too.

This project is a shining example of how international collaboration and educational initiatives are shaping the future of materials science.

Join the Agnirva Space Internship Program

Get certified with over 100 hours of immersive, self-paced learning in cosmology, space technology, and climate science through the Agnirva Space Internship Program. Join, complete virtual projects, and earn a digital certificate to showcase your space fluency in interviews, resumes, and beyond.