Advanced structures and materials are critical to achieving the goals of reduced costs, increased reliability, and higher flight rates for future spaceports. Spaceport structures and materials technology development areas include corrosion abatement, static charge dissipation, nondestructive evaluation (NDE), and nonflammability. Sources of corrosion and material degradation include humid saltwater environments surrounding launch structures and aggressive ozone and hard radiation environments of Earth orbit. Static charge buildup on payloads, spacecraft, and launch structures can present significant safety issues for personnel and equipment. Advanced flammable materials are desirable to enhance the safety of crew and ground personnel during operations. NDE technologies are critical to obtaining rapid status analysis of flight hardware. Since materials are ubiquitous in spaceflight, the reach of this technology thrust area will encompass launch structures, payload processing, spacecraft design, and vehicle maintenance.

Technology focus areas include the following:

1. Launch Structures and Mechanisms
2. Corrosion Science and Technology
3. Electromagnetic Physics
4. Materials Science and Technology
5. Nondestructive Evaluation

For more information regarding Spaceport Structures and Materials, please contact Karen Thompson, (321) 867-7051, Karen.Thompson-1@ksc.nasa.gov; or Dr. Carlos Calle, (321) 867-3274, Carlos.Calle-1@ksc.nasa.gov.

• Launch Systems Testbed (LST) Capability Development
• Electrochemical Analysis of Chloride Rinse Agents on Aircraft Alloys
• Characterization of Experimental Primerless Silicone Coatings by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
• Electrochemical Characterization of Tubing Alloys in Simulated Space Shuttle Launch Pad Conditions
• Advanced Multisensor for Electrolytic Characterization
• CELT Pneumatic Launch Assist
• Chromate Coating Replacement for Aircraft
• Development of Liquid Applied Coatings for Protection of Steel in Concrete
• Remote-Access, Internet-Based Data Acquisition System
• Surface Characterization of Polyimide Foams After Exposure to Oxygen Plasma
• A Study of the Degradation of High-Performance Polyimide Foams Using Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy Techniques
• Environmentally-Friendly Antifouling Coating Development
• Corrosion-Resistant Tubing for Space Shuttle Launch Sites
• Army Corrosion-Retardant Additive Testing
• Vibrational Nonequilibrium Effects in the Martian Atmosphere
• Electromagnetic Physics Laboratory (EMPL)
• Charge Decay Properties of Martian Regolith Simulant Particles
• Particle Charging at Simulated Martian Conditions
• Aerodynamic Multisensor Electrometer
• Electrostatics of Airborne Granular Material
• Low-Pressure Dust Impeller
  

Goals Specific to Focus Areas

• Ensure safe, efficient, and reliable structures techniques
• Enhance reliability and reduce maintenance cost of infrastructure
• Improve safety and reliability of operations through detection, mitigation, and prevention of electrostatic generation on equipment
• Develop specialty materials in support of future structures and materials initiatives