Task
Modification and delivery of mobile high performance thermographic system ThermaCAM S65 for on-orbit maintenance service for space shuttle flights and on the International Space Station (ISS).

Preparation
The critical moment for space shuttles is the re-entry of earth’s atmosphere. Approximately 70 kilometres above sea level, temperatures on the leading edge of the space shuttle wings reach up to 1600° Celsius (2912 °F). The Columbia space shuttle disaster developed from damage in the heat insulation of one of the shuttle wings. This failed to protect the shuttle and its crew on re-entry. The damages had occurred shortly after take-off, when pieces of insulation peeled off from the external tank and hit Columbia's port wing. The loss of Columbia prompted NASA to find and develop methods to increase the safety of its missions. The NASA Langley Research Center considered thermal imaging as a solution that should be able to inspect and report damages to the heat shield. After a thorough evaluation of all infrared cameras available on the market, NASA engineers chose ThermaCAM S65, an infrared camera developed and produced by FLIR Systems. In January 2005, a joint cooperation project between NASA and FLIR Systems was set up to turn Therma-CAM S65 into a space-hardened EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) flight hardware.

Contractor
FLIR Systems GmbH is a subsidiary of FLIR Systems, Inc., global market leader for thermographic systems and infrared cameras for civilian and military use. The Group posted sales of $ 575 million in 2006. FLIR Systems GmbH offers infrared cameras for use in preventive maintenance, for tasks in the field of building physics and for checking compliance with energy savings regulations. Also, infrared camera systems are used for high-level scientific problem solving in R & D, laboratory analysis, and during product design. Intelligent infrared multisensor technique and infrared industry cameras are used in the field of machine vision for industrial assembly and handling technologies, robotics, control, and positioning systems. Thermal imaging is used for surveillance and law enforcement purposes as well as for fire security systems. 

Internet
http://www.flirthermography.de  

Brief Description

• Surveillance of safety critical parts, damage prevention early warning system and diagnosis procedure using infrared camera ThermaCAM S65 made by FLIR Systems.
• Mobile infrared thermography for on-orbit space shuttle maintenance with regard to the space shuttles' thermal protection shield.

Customer's Benefits

• Space-hardened, robust, easy to use, and cost-efficient method to identify material damages in safety-critical space mission systems. 
• Mobile maintenance application for use in extreme environments. 
• Precise, exact spatial identification of defects at an early stage supports clear diagnostics and helps evade errors during problem-solving processes.

In-depth Study
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