In the race to make deep space missions self-sustaining, it’s not enough to 3D print tools in orbit. Chemical engineer and researcher Ubaldo Cordova’s vision is bolder: creating materials that adapt to radiation, extreme temperatures, and the unforgiving vacuum of space. At the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Cordova’s team, backed by NASA, is preparing polymers that could alter how astronauts build and repair everything from spacecraft parts to habitats, directly in space.