United States. Engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center will use the Teledyne FLIR Boson thermal camera module to be used to take it out of Earth's atmosphere.
The Boson Thermal Imaging System sees thermal energy and provides accurate independent temperature measurements. NASA's packaging features clever modifications that allow it to survive in the most extreme conditions imaginable, from intense vibrations at liftoff to the vacuum of space and then temperatures reached during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.
NASA chose the Boson because it already fits many of their stringent engineering requirements, including the need for a small, lightweight, passively cooled infrared camera with a thermal resolution of 640x480. The platform also lends itself well to customization and repackaging to survive the rigors of space travel.
The boson and package assembly developed by NASA has been fully tested and qualified at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 8 to operate in conditions including high vibration, shock, vacuum, high radiation, and extreme cold to extreme heat temperature cycles.
The modified Boson packaging could also serve as a potential option for use in the harshest ground conditions, including for aerospace and unmanned industrial machinery.
Heat shield test
For its first mission, the space-grade Boson will be used as part of NASA's low-Earth orbit inflatable decelerator flight test (LOFTID/IHAD), essentially a test of the effectiveness of an inflatable heat shield during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.
The Boson will rest behind the heat shield, aiming to monitor the heat generated in the infrared spectrum as the shield descends back to Earth. An inflatable, lighter heat shield could provide significant benefits for future missions, whether it returns to Earth or enters the atmosphere of neighboring celestial objects within the solar system. The modified Boson could also be used as part of imaging systems for future satellites and low-Earth orbit spacecraft.
Successful tests will increase the TRL to level 9 for the packing and boson assembly, which is available for license from NASA's Technology Transfer Program.
* Image credit: NASA.
