The primary NASA application of the proposed PRAXI system is a compact NDE system that can be used for in situ nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of the integrity of spacecraft components and structures, with the capability to provide reliable, high-resolution assessment of the location and extent of damage within multiwall pressure vessels, batteries, thermal tile, thermal blankets, micrometeoroid shielding, International Space Station (ISS) radiators, and other aerospace structural components. Additional NASA applications include NDE of lightweight spacecraft materials used in the development of advanced aircraft and spacecraft, such as porous ceramics, carbon-carbon composites, metal honeycomb layers, fiberglass, Kevlar, and aluminum alloys, providing accurate identification, localization, and measurements of all types of internal and surface defects.
The commercial applications of the PRAXI system include its use for in situ NDE/NDT of large-area nonuniform multilayer aluminum/titanium/composite structures with complicated geometry (and combined textile polymeric, ceramic, and metal matrix composite structures as well) in aging and modern commercial aircraft, spacecraft, light marine vessels, and any application requiring defect detection for multilayer ceramic, composite, metallic, and plastic nonuniform structures.
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