323. Structural Health Monitoring Framework

Team

Project Description

Develop structural health monitoring (SHM) framework for CST vehicles, payloads and components. The framework encompasses sensors, electronics, signal processing and automatic decision making as integral part of methodologies enabling structural condition assessment, continuous monitoring, and system prognosis. It is envisioned that SHM framework will serve as a key component of a future spaceflight recorder (“black box”) that reports vehicle’s health information and could facilitate re-certification for the next flight. Building on SHM system knowledge and expertise obtained in 2 successful spaceflights, we will explore fundamental aspects of structural monitoring in space, adapt existing sensors to launch/space/reentry operation, develop compensation routines for unfavorable influences of space environment, infer signal processing schemes and automatic decision support for SHM methodologies suitable to space applications. Practical examples of SHM of space system (planned through NASA FOP or other flight opportunity) will be demonstrated and system architecture compatible with “black box” will be explored. Planned collaboration with commercial launch providers will allow to tune SHM to specific launch vehicles and/or payloads.

AST GOALS: This task is aimed at improving safety and affordability of commercial spaceflights. In this capacity it supports AST’s mission to ensure protection of the public and property and to carry out safety responsibilities. Safety inspection is an AST core function and as such structural health monitoring task will directly support AST’s mission.

Project Outcomes

SHM framework for CST vehicles, payloads and components, studies on space effect on sensors and SHM architecture, algorithms to compensate for space effects in damage diagnosis, guidelines for integrating SHM with spaceflight recorder (“black box”) technical publications and conference presentations .

Summary of Output

This task is estimated to be of high criticality to the successful fulfillment of the AST goals described above because safety inspection is an AST core function. SHM is viewed as enabler of safety inspections for structures and hence is aimed to improve safety of spaceflight. In addition, implementation of SHM system will likely reduce operation costs for CST vehicles because components could be replaced on as needed basis in contrast to regular flight hours consideration.