Bartolomeo’s ‘Euro Material Ageing’ facility. To get a better understanding about how material ages beyond Earth’s atmosphere, up to 45 samples are set to spend a minimum of six months exposed to the harsh space environment. Clamped between two aluminium plates, 20 mm of their exposed surface will cope with radiation, vacuum, temperature extremes and even space debris. The structure is a single box with a lid housing the samples for outward transport.