RE: [amsat-bb] re: What can we do for NASA?

["MERRETT, David" <david.merrett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Is visual inspection really what we need?
The engineering approach is to establish the most dangerous, high-risk
failure event(s), and work out an *optimal* way to detect it. (is it
stressed beams? lost tiles? cracks? bends?)
How about fancy physics like acoustical-resonance signatures? Magnetic or
Thermal or Radio image/radiation signatures? Piezo-electric-effects or
optical-fibre-based detection on chassis beams? gravity/Weight-shift/loss
detection? (is there an effect in micrograv. we can exploit?)

(Analogue:planes dont use cameras to check if their wheels are down! they
probly use a microswitch (??))

I believe specific detectors that can be incorporated into the structures
are a more reliable and neat system than an independantly-deployed, more
complicated/risky system (humane or machine). The latter is probably worth
the effort AFTER detectors have highlighted a potential problem.
I suspect the STS would already have detectors for such things.. maybe they
need more?



-----Original Message-----
From: John Mock [mailto:kd6pag@qsl.net]
Sent: Wednesday, 5 February 2003 09:12
To: amsat-bb@amsat.org
Subject: [amsat-bb] re: What can we do for NASA?


In the interest of stimulating further discussion/thought, here are a few
quick replies.

   Rather than using a micro- or picosat to do the inspection, why not have
a
   couple of the astronauts do an EVA to do the inspection?  Certainly a
   well-trained astronaut could spot things that would be more difficult to
   spot with a camera.			      -- JReicher@hrblock.com
<---SNIP-->
This is intended more as a thought experiment than a meaningful proposal.
The challenge i'm making, is for folks to come up with something better, 
perhaps even something we might build.  Someone else toss out some ideas.

			         -- KD6PAG

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