Mechanical Engineering Students Receive NASA Fellowships for Space Materials Research

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Chase Borges, Saksham Kaul, and Yanfei Xu

Two undergraduate mechanical engineering majors, Chase Borges and Saksham Kaul, have received National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) research fellowships through the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium. The fellowships will support research on advanced polymers for future space exploration missions, and both projects will be conducted in the APEX (Advanced Polymer Engineering) Lab under the guidance of Assistant Professor Yanfei Xu in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.

The fellowship projects address two critical challenges facing next-generation aerospace systems: thermal management and energy conversion in the extreme environments of future Artemis and Moon-to-Mars missions. Both projects focus on conjugated polymers — lightweight and flexible materials with highly tunable electrical and thermal properties that could transform how spacecraft manage heat and power.

Chase Borges’ project, “Advanced Thermal Management in Extreme Space Environments through Tunable Heat Transport in Conjugated Polymers,” investigates how heat and electrical charge move through conjugated polymers and how those processes can be independently controlled for aerospace thermal management applications. NASA missions require materials capable of operating under severe temperature fluctuations in environments where convection is limited or absent, making thermal control one of the most significant engineering challenges for spacecraft electronics, lunar habitats, and astronaut systems.

Borges’ research focuses on polythiophene-based polymers and explores how controlled doping can simultaneously tune both electrical and thermal conductivity, which is a highly desirable capability for advanced materials. By studying how doping modifies molecular packing, nanoscale morphology, and thermal transport, the project aims to establish new design principles for lightweight wearable astronaut technologies capable of operating in extreme space environments. “This is my first real dive into polymer science, so the fact that I can get funding from NASA is both amazing and intimidating. I am very excited to further this research with the help of Dr. Xu and the UMass Riccio College of Engineering,” Borges said.

Saksham Kaul’s project, “Advancing Polymer Thermoelectrics for Lightweight and Durable Deep-Space Power Systems,” focuses on developing lightweight and thermally stable polymer thermoelectric materials for long-duration space missions. Thermoelectric generators, including those used in NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers, convert heat directly into electricity without moving parts and are essential for powering spacecraft in deep-space environments where solar energy is limited or unavailable.

Kaul’s research investigates how elevated temperatures influence doping stability, charge transport, electrical conductivity, and thermoelectric performance in conjugated polymers. Through controlled time-dependent thermoelectric characterization, the project seeks to identify molecular design strategies for stable, high-performance polymer thermoelectric materials capable of reliable operation for more than a decade in harsh space environments. “Ever since I was a kid reading picture books about the solar system, I have been fascinated with space exploration. Eight-year-old me would be overjoyed to know that I am contributing to research with applications in deep-space power systems. I am deeply grateful to Professor Xu for guiding me toward this opportunity,” Kaul said.

“I am very proud of Chase and Saksham for earning these competitive NASA fellowships,” said Yanfei Xu. “Both students have demonstrated exceptional curiosity, dedication, and creativity in my lab. These fellowships provide an outstanding opportunity for them to contribute to technologies that could support future NASA missions while gaining valuable research experience. Their achievements demonstrate the power of undergraduate research to inspire innovation and develop future STEM leaders.”