Researchers at Dalian University of Technology in China have designed a new type of spacecraft armour inspired by the shape of an egg, aiming to better protect satellites and crewed vehicles from the growing threat of orbital debris. The work matters because low Earth orbit is becoming increasingly congested, with collisions between spacecraft and debris occurring at extremely high speeds and posing serious safety risks, particularly as mega-constellations such as Starlink expand and further large-scale satellite projects are proposed.

The team's design sandwiches water-filled, 3D-printed aluminium "eggshells" between two thin aluminium plates and tests how the structure performs against simulated hypervelocity impacts. The best-performing configuration, with the eggs' pointed ends facing the impact side, reduced projectile velocity by 64.9%, compared with 51% for a standard single aluminium plate, despite using shells just 12mm high and plates only a millimetre thick. The researchers, whose findings were published this week and reported via the American Institute of Physics, say the approach shows promise for lightweight, bio-inspired impact protection, though questions remain about the added weight of covering a spacecraft in water-filled shells, and further optimisation and testing are planned.