Health Interrogation for Space Structures (HISS)

The initial NASA application for HISS is to monitor the International Space Station (ISS) for leaks. HISS will also be simple to adapt to other structural monitoring requirements that will develop as the ISS ages. This is analogous to the significant increase in monitoring aboard the Space Shuttle as it aged. The experience NASA gains with HISS aboard the ISS will be directly applicable to new manned spacecraft such as Orion that are designed for deep space missions. HISS can monitor the Thermal Protection System (TPS) and other portions of these vehicles to ensure safety during final entry, descent, and landing. NASA can also apply HISS to other flight and ground applications such as monitoring pressure vessels, tanks, aircraft, structures, and test facilities.

Many Non-NASA applications are similar to NASA's applications for the technology. They include flight and ground testing of aerospace vehicles as well as long-term monitoring during actual missions. They also include monitoring pressure vessels, tanks, aeronautical vehicles, ground vehicles and terrestrial structures. The adaptable, smart, and connected nature of HISS will enable it to be adapted to many applications with minimal engineering, installation, and maintenance costs. Perhaps the most pressing need for HISS is aboard the commercial crew vehicles being developed in order to ensure the integrity of the Thermal Protection System (TPS) that is needed to protect astronauts during their final entry, descent, and landing. More »