This is the author manuscript accepted for publication and has undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as doi: 10.1002/mame.202000006. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Wide area reversible adhesive for in-space assembly Jacob L. Meyer*, Pixiang Lan, Mete Bakir, Iwona Jasiuk, James Economy J.L. Meyer, Dr. P. Lan, Dr. J Economy ATSP Innovations, 60 Hazelwood Dr., Champaign, IL, 61820, United States of America E-mail: jacob.l.meyer@atspinnovations.com Dr. M. Bakir, Prof. I. Jasiuk University of Illinois, 1206 W. Green St. Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America Keywords: reversible bonding, in-space assembly, materials for space, adhesives, assembly The design of future space structures may anticipate a greater need for in-space assembly due to larger planned space structures and changes in mission profiles over their operational lifetimes. A rapid and reversible adhesive coating over the structure’s surface would allow additional components to be bonded at any arbitrary time in the future. A scalable wide-area reversible adhesive utilizing a high glass transition thermoset polymer possessing thermally exchangeable bonds can serve as an enabling technology for in-space assembly. Coatings of aromatic thermosetting copolyesters can be deposited on aluminum and titanium coupons, which bond when heated to 400℃ with the counterpart surfaces under pressure. Reversibility over multiple cycles is shown within a dynamic mechanical analyzer with the limiting constraint being the necessity of non-delaminatory (cohesive) debonding of the bonded coupons. Bonded coupons can sustain a thermal cycle spanning the representative temperatures in low earth orbit under tension with no failure. A localized rapid heating method amenable for in-space assembly can be used to bond titanium coupons using induction heating with a bonding time of 40 seconds. Here we present a method for providing reversible bonding surfaces on future space structures that may be used at arbitrary times and locations. The deposition method for the attachment surface is applicable over a wide area utilizing extant highly scaled industrial processes. At a glance, space frame construction technologies have generally relied on metal- based unit elements [1-3] , which are either permanently joined or connected via labor-intensive