Location
Radisson Resort at the Port, Convention Center, Jamaica Room
Start Date
2-5-2002 2:00 PM
End Date
2-5-2002 5:00 PM
Description
The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is a major source of worldwide corrosion expertise. Corrosion studies began at KSC in 1966 during the Gemini/Apollo Programs with the evaluation of long-term protective coatings for the atmospheric protection of carbon steel. NASA’s KSC Beach Corrosion Test Site was established at that time. The site has provided over 30 years of technical information on the long-term performance of many materials and continues to be upgraded with state-of-the-art capabilities to meet the current and future needs of NASA, other government agencies, and industry for corrosion protection.
With the introduction of the Space Shuttle in 1981, the already highly corrosive conditions at the launch pad were rendered even more severe by the acidic exhaust from the solid rocket boosters. In the years that followed, numerous studies have identified materials, coatings, and maintenance procedures for launch hardware and equipment exposed to the highly corrosive environment at the launch pad.
KSC’s Materials Science Laboratories have conducted testing and research in the field of corrosion since 1968. The Corrosion Laboratory was established in 1985 and was outfitted with stateof- the-art equipment to conduct research and materials evaluation in many different corrosive environments. In 2000, the Corrosion Technology Testbed was created in order to achieve KSC’s goal of increased participation in research and development.
The Corrosion Technology Testbed is staffed with scientists, corrosion engineers and technicians with extensive experience in the field of corrosion and is outfitted with state-of-the-art instrumentation and equipment to develop new corrosion control technologies and to investigate, evaluate, and determine materials behavior in many different corrosive environments. Its facilities include an Atmospheric Exposure Test Site, documented by the American Society of Materials (ASM) as one of the most corrosive naturally occurring environments in the world, an Electrochemistry Laboratory, a Seawater Immersion System, a Coatings Application Laboratory, and an Accelerated Corrosion Laboratory. The site has recently been outfitted with network connectivity for data acquisition through the Internet.
A historical perspective highlighting the lessons learned in over thirty years of corrosion research, materials evaluation, and development work aimed at protecting and enhancing the safety and reliability of the nation’s launch infrastructure and hardware will be presented.
Paper Session III-C - Corrosion Protection of Launch Infrastructure and Flight Hardware at the Kennedy Space Center
Radisson Resort at the Port, Convention Center, Jamaica Room
The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is a major source of worldwide corrosion expertise. Corrosion studies began at KSC in 1966 during the Gemini/Apollo Programs with the evaluation of long-term protective coatings for the atmospheric protection of carbon steel. NASA’s KSC Beach Corrosion Test Site was established at that time. The site has provided over 30 years of technical information on the long-term performance of many materials and continues to be upgraded with state-of-the-art capabilities to meet the current and future needs of NASA, other government agencies, and industry for corrosion protection.
With the introduction of the Space Shuttle in 1981, the already highly corrosive conditions at the launch pad were rendered even more severe by the acidic exhaust from the solid rocket boosters. In the years that followed, numerous studies have identified materials, coatings, and maintenance procedures for launch hardware and equipment exposed to the highly corrosive environment at the launch pad.
KSC’s Materials Science Laboratories have conducted testing and research in the field of corrosion since 1968. The Corrosion Laboratory was established in 1985 and was outfitted with stateof- the-art equipment to conduct research and materials evaluation in many different corrosive environments. In 2000, the Corrosion Technology Testbed was created in order to achieve KSC’s goal of increased participation in research and development.
The Corrosion Technology Testbed is staffed with scientists, corrosion engineers and technicians with extensive experience in the field of corrosion and is outfitted with state-of-the-art instrumentation and equipment to develop new corrosion control technologies and to investigate, evaluate, and determine materials behavior in many different corrosive environments. Its facilities include an Atmospheric Exposure Test Site, documented by the American Society of Materials (ASM) as one of the most corrosive naturally occurring environments in the world, an Electrochemistry Laboratory, a Seawater Immersion System, a Coatings Application Laboratory, and an Accelerated Corrosion Laboratory. The site has recently been outfitted with network connectivity for data acquisition through the Internet.
A historical perspective highlighting the lessons learned in over thirty years of corrosion research, materials evaluation, and development work aimed at protecting and enhancing the safety and reliability of the nation’s launch infrastructure and hardware will be presented.
