Although it may be one small step for Iowa State, it could be a giant leap for NASA.

With its fleet grounded indefinitely because of reoccurring problems that claimed the lives of seven of its astronauts and nearly jeopardized the launch of a following flight, NASA turned to Iowa State to help it solve its space exploration woes.

Iowa State’s Center for Nondestructive Evaluation has been helping NASA find defects in its space shuttle foam.

Joseph Gray, adjunct associate professor of mechanical engineering and leader of the X-ray research group, and his research team will be assisting NASA in looking for defects in space shuttle foam using X-ray backscatter imaging.

Backscatter imaging differs from regular X-rays in that it fires photons at the object and detects how many come back and in what pattern.

Regular X-rays simply pass through the object and are detected on the other side.

If there is a bubble between two layers, the photons simply pass through the open air, with nothing for them to bounce off. As the photons return to the detector, the scatter is recorded.

“If you fire enough bullets at a target, you’ll see a pattern of where they go,” Gray said.

The ISU researchers will use computer simulations to replicate the experiment, and use the data to figure out how to recognize and locate the bubbles.

NASA came to the center because of its national reputation and expertise, said R. Bruce Thompson, distinguished professor and center director.

“Because of [the center’s] critical mass, we have the ability to work on these large projects,” Thompson said.

“In the U.S., we are the largest and best research center for nondestructive evaluation.”

The center employs more than 100 faculty and students, allowing for work on multiple projects at once, Thompson said.

The X-ray research group has been working on this project since the fall, and Thompson hopes to give NASA a report sometime in April.

Thompson said the center has been working on many other projects for NASA, including how to detect leaks in spacecrafts and computer-based tools to assist astronauts.

There are some long-term objectives, as well.

“Can you actually embed sensors within objects that will give readings when they are in use?” Thompson said.

NASA and the center have done a lot of work with each other in the past years, and have developed a level of trust that leads NASA to come to the center when it needs answers.

“They have a history of funding work here,” Gray said.

“They trust us and know we will get good work done.”

Although the center does work closely, both Gray and Thompson said they are by no means telling NASA what to do, just helping them find easier ways to get the answers they need.

“I’m flattered they came to us and asked for that kind of help,” Gray said.