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The Instrumentation and Control Systems Laboratories develop,
qualify, and implement instrumentation sensors and systems to meet
the unique needs of the KSC Launch and Landing team. These systems
satisfy new requirements, replace existing systems which are
obsolescent and difficult/expensive to maintain, provide increased
safety and reliability, and lower the cost of checkout, launch, and
landing operations. The Laboratories also provide unique
instrumentation and expertise to other NASA centers, the Department
of Defense, other Government agencies, and private industry on
request.
Transducers (Sensors)
The transducer Development Lab provides transducers to the KSC and
NASA community that have been adequately tested to assure that they
meet the technical, safety, reliability, and environmental
requirements of the intended applications. Transducers are
standardized across all ground support systems to assure maximum
commonality and cost savings, and to assure that manufacturers
continue to meet applicable standards and specifications. The lab
also develops transducers as required where commercial products do
not meet user-specified requirements. The lab continually works with
users and suppliers to solve design-level applications problems, meet
new requirements, assure multiple suppliers capable of meeting
requirements, and assure maximum commonality. Future developments
will include smart sensors with multiple sensing elements, on-board
microprocessors, and logic to allow and out-of tolerance sensing
element to be taken off-line. This will extend the life and
calibration cycle of the transducers.
Data Acquisition
The Data Acquisition Lab develops state-of-the-art systems to signal
condition, multiplex, transmit, record, and display data from
transducers and instrumentation systems. It also provides data
acquisition equipment and services for the Launch Equipment Test
Facility, and fast-response service to any location on KSC or Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station. It has provided Data Acquisition service
as far away as the White Sands Test Facility. The lab is currently
involved with NASA's first commercialization initiative which
involves NASA, the State of Florida, private industry, and
universities. The lab is revolutionizing the state-of-the-art in
signal conditioning with the invention of a signal
conditioner/amplifier that instantly and automatically senses the
type excitation voltage requirements, calibration and linearization
and calibration due dates of any connected transducer, saving
millions of dollars of measurement setup time over the life of the
Shuttle program.
Landing Systems
The Landing Systems Lab develops state-of-the-art systems to
calibrate and certify ground-based Shuttle navigation systems such as
the Microwave Scanning Beam Landing System and Tactical Air
Navigation ( ). The lab's expertise and experience with Global
Positioning System will be used to provide the ground systems needed
as the Space Shuttle transitions to GPS-based navigation and landing
systems.
Electrical Control Systems
The Electrical Control Systems Lab develops and provides embedded
controllers, systems simulators, and associated software, DC power
supplies, touchscreen control panels, electronic panel meters, etc.
for use in Ground Support Equipment. The lab also tests and verifies
interfaces between support equipment provided by other centers and
agencies which must interface properly with KSC checkout systems. The
lab will continue to develop, test, and qualify electronic
components, systems, and interfaces to meet evolving customer
requirements, especially in the ground integration testing of
International Space Station elements.
Hazardous Gas Detection
The Hazardous Gas Detection Lab develops mass spectrometer-based
systems to detect, measure, and locate leaks of liquid hydrogen and
oxygen during Space Shuttle countdown and launch, as well as ground
testing. Equipment provided by the HGD Lab detected the leaks on
STS-6, STS-35, and STS-38 which could have resulted in loss of the
vehicle and flight crew if undetected. The lab also develops enhanced
helium leak detection systems for specialized applications, where
commercial equipment fails to meet user requirements. The lab also
provides specialized instrumentation and operators to other NASA
centers on request. The lab is currently engaged in development of
ground and flight systems for future launch vehicles as well as for
replacement/upgrade of equipment for the Space Shuttle program. This
work is expected to result in systems which are smaller, lighter,
more rugged, and much less expensive than existing systems. Future
systems will be autonomous and will require minimum operator
preparation and real-time monitoring. These advancements are expected
to have broad commercial application in the aerospace, environmental,
medical and process monitoring fields.
Optical Instrumentation
The Optical Instrumentation Lab develops highly innovative
instrumentation for imaging and measurement, detection of hydrogen
and hydrazine flames, and for precise positioning of Space Shuttle
and payload elements during mating operations . The lab also
specializes in ultrasonic leak detection, with past designs being
commercialized and tested for use on board the International Space
Station. The lab will continue to advance the state of the art in
optical sensing, imaging, detection, and measurement by developing
smarter and less expensive instruments, and will continue to
specialize in fast turnaround applications to meet precise user
needs.
Toxic Vapor Detection
The Toxic Vapor Detection Lab develops, tests, and qualifies portable
and in-place detectors for the toxic vapors encountered in aerospace
operations at KSC, as well as other NASA and government facilities.
The lab is a world-class leader in the development and qualification
of detectors and calibration equipment that must reliably measure
concentrations in the low parts per billion range. The lab also
provides expertise for monitoring toxic emissions to satisfy state
and federal permit application requirements, as well as developing
innovative solutions to reduce hazardous waste streams at KSC. As
permissible exposure levels continue to be lowered, the lab will
provide the necessary detection and monitoring equipment to meet the
federal, state, and internal requirements imposed on launch and
landing operations at KSC and elsewhere.
Contamination Monitoring
The Contamination Monitoring Lab develops real-time instruments to
protect payloads and clean rooms from contamination by aerosols,
hydrocarbons, nonvolatile residue, and particle fallout, as well as
the equipment necessary to calibrate them. Current practice has been
to expose witness plates to potential contaminants for a period of up
to two weeks, thus determining contamination levels after payloads,
etc. are already contaminated. The lab is, and will continue, to
develop instruments capable of real-time monitoring, thus warning
users in time to prevent contamination which is costly to clean up
and also impacts schedules.
Special Instrumentation
The Special Instrumentation Lab develops automated instruments for
field inspection and non-destructive evaluation of flight hardware,
such as the Automatic Window Inspection Device for Orbiter windows,
the Surface Defect Analyzer, which measures surface defects on
critical flight hardware in real-time, precluding time-consuming mold
impressions, systems to detect corrosion under paint on flight
hardware, and to detect debonds under the External Tank's sprayed on
foam insulation. The lab will continue to develop instrumentation not
commercially available to improve the safety, reliability, and
cost-effectiveness of launch and landing operations.
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