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Mechanisms, Materials, and Structures
Volume 7, Number 2 (Fall 2006)
From the Editors
Headlines
Lighter, Stronger, Better: Significant Trends in Materials Research
Aerospace researchers are working to identify and optimize the materials and processing techniques that hold the greatest potential for advancing space system capabilities.
Exploding into Space: Explosive Ordnance for Space Systems
Controlled explosions are a necessary part of every space mission. Aerospace, through its esoteric dedicated explosive ordnance expertise, has a part in ensuring that the explosively activated devices outfitted on space systems will perform reliably.
Space Vehicle Mechanisms
Mission success requires the precise and reliable operation of numerous mechanisms that secure, deploy, move, and release space and launch vehicle components. Aerospace has developed particular expertise geared toward optimizing the design and analysis of these moving mechanical assemblies and mechanisms.
Smooth Moves: Tribology in Action
Space system designers must minimize friction and wear in moving parts without losing lubricants to the vacuum of space.
Holding It All Together: Space Structures
Space structure design is characterized by an almost fanatical concern with reducing weight, accommodating diverse loads, and facilitating integration with other subsystems.
Why Is It Difficult to Predict Mass Growth on Space Programs?
Despite the correlation between system mass and mission cost, program managers lack tools and data for accurately predicting mass properties growth. Aerospace is working to redress this deficiency.
Predicting Mechanical Failure of Electronic Assemblies
Comprehensive techniques developed at Aerospace can quantify the failure risk of electronic components—an important part of the mission assurance process.
Finding Flaws Without Causing More: The Art and Science of Nondestructive Evaluation
A mixture of insight and innovation helps detect hidden defects in space system components, safely and reliably.
Research Horizons
Modeling Erosion in Hall-Current Thrusters
Turbopump Cavitation Testing and Modeling
Bookmarks
Publications, Papers, and Patents by the Technical Staff
The Back Page
Down-to-Earth Uses for Space Materials
Contributors
Puzzle Key
Click here to view the answer key for this edition's crossword puzzle
