Most, if not all of our readers are familiar with welding. There is piping, boiler tubes, structural steel, and storage tank shell components to name a few. There is also weld overlay using stainless steels, Inconel, and other unusual materials. But there are certainly other types of welding on more exotic equipment. Perhaps one of the most creative is the welding technology that is required on space vehicles. At NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center their goal is to provide astronauts with space vehicles that are structurally safe and sound. Since its inception in 1958 the center has been providing NASA with space vehicles from the Mercury and Apollo programs to the Space Shuttle.
Currently MSFC is working on the next generation of space vehicles the Space Launch System (SLS) that will take our astronauts to the moon, Mars, and beyond. The SLS Welding is a critical part of the manufacturing process. As space ships have become more sophisticated so have the technologies to weld them. Based on the welding techniques for light weight tanks, gas tungsten arc was used in the early 80’s on the Saturn V rocket. It quickly graduated to variable polarity plasma arc up to the 1990’s and now has evolved to friction stir welding today.
This process of friction stir welding is used in circumferential weld joints joining barrel to barrel or barrel to the domes of the cryogenic fuel tanks used in liquid engine launch vehicles. This process is used in the Ares 1 rocket of the Constellation program.
The Advanced Welding and Manufacturing Facility at Marshall supports all the advanced equipment, develops welding processes, and allows the manufacture of full scale replicas and models. It has the capacity to make cylindrical components up to 25 feet tall and 40 feet in diameter.
Since all of this technology is developed with tax payer money it may not be surprising that the welding facilities at Marshall are available for use by U.S. private companies who do not have such facilities themselves. Through NASA’s Space Act Agreement program companies can come to the Marshall Space Flight Center and use the R&D activities without impacting their own manufacturing spaces. The Technology Transfer Office at MSFC offers not only this innovative welding technology, but all NASA-derived technologies to the private sector for licensing. Their website is www.nasasolutions.com. There may be some great welding methods just for the asking.