Structures and Materials Research Laboratory Structures and Materials Research Laboratory Built in 1939 to contribute to the development and validation of aircraft structural designs during World War II, this laboratory currently supports a broad range of structural and materials development activities for advanced aircraft, aerospace vehicles, and space platform and antenna structures. Research includes the development, fabrication, and characterization of advanced materials and the development of novel structural concepts. Static testing, environmental testing, and material fabrication and analysis are performed. This research also emphasizes advanced space-durable materials and structural designs for future large space systems that afford significant improvements in performance and economy.
Optical microscopy includes quantitative image analysis and regular microscopy.
Also included in the laboratory complex is the Carbon-Carbon Research Laboratory.