DEVELOPING THE EQUIPMENT FOR STUDYING THE TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES IN PRODUCING INORGANIC MATERIALS IN SPACE

We discuss the goals and the tendencies in the development of the domestic studies of the technological processes for obtaining inorganic materials (semiconductors, metals, alloys, composites, glasses, and so on) in weightless conditions with the use of various methods. We present the requirements imposed on the equipment operating on board the spacecraft and the techniques for ensuring the required parameters of this equipment for conducting the experiments. We present a historical review of the improvement of the design of the apparatus in the course of the development of the capabilities of the spacecraft and the appearance of new tasks. We propose ways to develop future equipment for both manned and unmanned spacecraft.