Rocket experiment tracks how liquid metal solidifies in microgravity

Scientists have used an X-ray detector on a sounding rocket, a type of research rocket that flies to the edge of space, then returns to Earth within minutes, to document metal dendrites—the branching structures that form as liquid metal cools—forming in microgravity conditions for the first time. By analyzing the images using machine learning, they reveal insights that could improve how metal components are solidified and manufactured.