ALBIREO TECHNOLOGIES LLC — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: Z4

Description

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) proposes to develop a newnbsp;Time-Synchronized X-Ray Compton Tomography (TESERACT). TESERACTnbsp;nbsp;technology is a powerful extension of the Compton imaging tomography (CIT) NDE technique, whichnbsp;is now used for the quality control of the Orion heat shield at Kennedy Space Center (KSC).nbsp;By providing an innovative approach for data acquisition and signal processing, TESERACT offers robust rejection of multiple potential signal artifacts, 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 will offer simplified and more user-friendly operation, with faster scan rate and improved image resolution.nbsp;In Phasenbsp;I, ATC will demonstrate the feasibility of the TESERACT technology by developing the required data processing algorithms, as well as fabricating and testing a prototype system, with a projected technology readiness level (TRL)-4. In Phase II, ATC plans to develop a complete TRL-6 TESERACT system capable of automatic operation and demonstrate its NDE capabilities to NASA by testing it on relevant spacecraft materials and structures. At the end of Phasenbsp;II, the TESERACT system will be delivered to NASA for further evaluation.nbsp;nbsp;