This project is a novel experiment that will characterize guided wave propagation through aluminum plates in orbit. Piezoelectric wafers will be used to actuate and detect guided wave signals through a small-size aluminum plate. This experiment is part of a payload will be deployed to the ISS in November 2025.

Below are some of my contributions. I will be co-authoring a research paper on the results for SPIE Vancouver 2026.

Left: Soldered piezoelectric wafer.

Middle: Impedance and phase shift characterization of piezoelectric wafer.

Right: Power distribution, microcontroller, and completed wiring

What	How	Results
•First-of-its-kind Guided Wave Characterization of Aluminum in Orbit	•Implemented network of piezoelectric sensors and power distribution	•Payload deployment to ISS-MISSE research platform in November 2025
•Electronic sensor integration into research payload space	•Data analysis with machine learning algorithms	•SPIE 2026 Conference paper: Characterization of PZT and guided waves in space

Left: Redesign of old, larger PCB boards.

Middle: KiCad drawing of PCB for piezoelectric circuit.

Right: Experimental guided wave mode speed in small aluminum plate compared to Rayleigh wave speeds for thin plates.