Beyond the Launchpad: Overcoming the Polymer Limit
Troy J. Calloway1
1 Dept. of In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing, International Space Education and Research Guild (ISERG)
Published: Aug 2026
Type: Popular article
Citation
Calloway, T. J., "Beyond the Launchpad: Overcoming the Polymer Limit," International Space Education and Research Guild, 2026.
DOI: None
Abstract
Since the launch of V-2 rockets circa 1940, polymer seals and one-time use metal crush gaskets have been used to contain the pressure and volatility of rocket propellants. Modern manufacturers have utilized slightly more advanced polymers - perfluoroelastomers, for example, to push the boundaries of what is possible with elastomers. However, the limit has been reached at the extreme temperatures, pressures, and radiological environments encountered beyond the launchpad. After roughly 75 years of rockets capable of reaching outer space, modern launch providers have yet to even master launching, where terrestrial conditions are much more favourable than those in space. Recent launch scrubs of the NASA Artemis program or the mishaps of commercial providers reveal that one of the biggest challenges on the launchpad and beyond is containment and management of propellants.