Condition Based Maintenance of Space Exploration Vehicles Using Structural Health Monitoring, Phase I

Acellent Technologies proposes to develop an autonomous and automated diagnostic system for condition based maintenance (CBM) of safety critical structures for space exploration vehicles. The proposed system will provide real-time information on the integrity of critical structures on launch vehicles, improve their performance, and greatly increase crew safety while decreasing inspection costs. The system will encompass a gamut of functions from sensing hardware through diagnosis and prognosis all the way to presentation of the asset condition with recommended maintenance actions. Additionally the system will be developed for qualification and reliable use with space vehicles from the time of manufacture through launch. The biggest payoff of IVHM is development of system determining health prior to vehicle operation. Technologies will be developed to reliably instrument and monitor damage in critical structures such as rocket motors. The system development will be based on Acellent's SMART Layer technology that utilizes a network of sensors and actuators to query and monitor the integrity of a structure. In Phase I, a prototype CBM system for rocket motors will be developed and preliminary qualification tests conducted in collaboration with ATK-Thiokol. Phase II will focus on complete system development and interface with the rocket motor IVHM system.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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