Time-Synchronized X-Ray Compton Tomography

To address the NASA need for robust, high-fidelity, quantitative, there-dimensional (3D) nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of ablative materials and other spacecraft structures, Albireo Technologies LLC (ATC) proposed and developed in Phase I Time-Synchronized X-Ray Compton Tomography (TESERACT) technology. TESERACT approachis a powerful extension of the Compton imaging tomography (CIT) NDE technique, whichis now used for the quality control of the Orion heat shield at Kennedy Space Center (KSC).By providing an innovative approach for data acquisition and signal processing, TESERACT offers robust rejection of multiple potential signal artifacts and background scattering signal, enabling high-fidelity three-dimensional (3D) density profiling of spacecraft components, with high-contrast, clear images even in components with substantial thickness, such as thermal protection structures (TPS). Furthermore, TESERACT offers simplified and more user-friendly operation, achieving higher-quality scans with reduced operator effort.In PhaseI, ATC demonstrated the feasibility of the TESERACT technology by developing the required data processing algorithms, as well as fabricating and testing a prototype system, with final technology readiness level (TRL)-4. In Phase II, ATC plans to develop a complete TRL-6 TESERACT system with multiple new performance-enhancing features and adaptability to a wide range of NDE tasks,and demonstrate its inspection capabilities to NASA by testing it on relevant spacecraft materials and structures. At the end of PhaseII, the TESERACT system will be delivered to NASA for further evaluation. To address the NASA need for advanced spacecraft inspection technologies, Albireo Technologies LLC (ATC) proposed and successfully developed in Phase I a Time-Synchronized X-Ray Compton Tomography (TESERACT) system. TESERACT technology is a powerful extension of the Compton imaging tomography (CIT) technique, used for the non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and quality control of various spacecraft components, including the Orion heat shield. In contrast to the CIT, which performs three-dimensional (3D) scanning of the component internal structure, TESERACT effectively performs four-dimensional (4D) data acquisition, using a more advanced data acquisition and processing approach, which overcomes inherent CIT limitations and achieves high-fidelity material density profiling, with robust rejection of the physical and equipment-related signal artifacts and extracting only the pure backscatter X-ray signal, representative of the true material density. In addition, TESERACT enables the reconstruction of the true physical material density, which is important for structural analysis. The overall Phase II objective is to develop a next-generation backscatter X-ray based NDE TESERACT system with increased functionality and flexibility, adaptable to a wide range of NDE applications, and to fabricate a compact, standalone, and high-performance TRL-6 system that can be used by NASA for research and material development. Phase II TESERACT system will also serve as a basis for the potential development of a fully mission-qualified TRL-7 system in Phase III.    To successfully accomplish this Phase II work, the following objectives are set forth: Objective 1.     Development of the Phase II system design.  Objective 2.     Optimization of the algorithms and software for data acquisition and processing. Objective 3.     Development of the TESERACT hardware components. Objective 4.     Fabrication and testing of the Phase II TESERACT system. Objective 5.     Demonstration of the Phase II system performance to NASA.  Objective 6.     Exploration of the commercial potential of the TESERACT technology.

TESERACT technology can be applied to NDE of composites, metals, and other lightweight spacecraft materials, producing high-fidelity, quantitative scan data suitable for accurate 3D component reconstruction, free from signal artifacts, with user-friendly functionality. TESERACT will increase the effectiveness of on-ground material development and quality control tasks for space exploration missions, such as Orion and SLS. TESERACT can also provide an effective solution for in-space NDE applications on the ISS and Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway.  Potential commercial applications of the TESERACT technique include the NDE of lightweight aerospace materials, such as multilayer aluminum and composite structures, honeycomb panels, COPVs, and spacecraft heat shielding. Additionally, TESERACT has significant applications in the oil and gas industries, for example, detecting corrosion in pipelines through layers of thermal insulation

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