Iowa State is working with NASA to create an aerospace vehicle that can change shape, sense its damage and then fix itself.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is providing a $2 million grant to create “ageless aerospace vehicles,” said Bruce Thompson, director for the Center for Nondestructive Evaluation. Sen. Tom Harkin initiated the funding to bring Iowa State and NASA together.

“Harkin recognized there are some real strengths on this campus,” Thompson said.

NASA is working on projects to enhance the safety of operators and of space vehicles that are in use today, he said.

The first step involves increasing safety by sensing dangerous chemicals and locating leaks inside a structure.

Leaks are detected by listening to sounds in the structure that are often inaudible, said Ron Roberts, scientist for the Center for Nondestructive Evaluation.They are also going to study how well current techniques for locating leaks work and what could be done to improve them.

The center will be working on a more futuristic vision, by developing a way for vehicles to change shape or be able to sense damage. Ideally, the vehicle will be able to repair itself, Thompson said.

“It is an analogy to the human body,” he said. “The body senses that it has something wrong with it, and then takes some corrective action to fix it.”

Scientists are using nature as a blueprint to design complex structures with healing capability, and are working on ways to convert organic material into inorganic material so it’s more durable and heat resistant.

Fiber optics are being used to act as the “nervous system,” said Steve Martin, professor of materials science and engineering. “Their application is to measure mechanical properties of materials.”

NASA is concerned with how stressed materials are during use, Martin said. The main application of the fibers is to monitor stress in a structure by measuring light that passes through it. The fiber is treated and reinforced into the structure, so if it is stressed, the fiber will sense it, he said. NASA wants to use the technology in low-orbit flying planes, as well as in road beds to help measure strain.

Thompson said working with NASA will enrich faculty and student research, and will help in working with NASA in the future.