Studies of materials, which spent a long time – up to 1500 days – on “Mir” and “Salut” space stations showed that their surface has changed – it became covered with a layer of condensed nanostructural substance. Russian scientists have discovered such layer on various materials – aluminum foil, polymer composite materials, inorganic glass.
      
      Film’s structure and composition depend on the original material. Carbon plastic materials are covered with a fine-fibered nanofilm, and materials containing aluminum foil show round coating zones. Multi-layered film was detected on the protective glass cover of solar battery parts – its particles contain mainly silicon atoms.
      
      Researchers have come up with several hypotheses of condensed nanostructural films, but still no final explanation is given to this fact.
      
      Source: Science & Life