NASA’s project aimed to reduce the development and certification timeline for composite materials and structures by 30%. The current 5-10 year timeline is seen as a barrier to the adoption of composite structures in vehicles, which are necessary for increased efficiency and sustainability. NASA sought to achieve this goal by developing new analytical methods, inspection techniques, and manufacturing process simulations. The project involved collaborating with government agencies, industry, and academia to mature and verify the methodology, ensuring effective transition to industry and safety through certification authorities.
The technical challenges addressed by the project included developing validated strength and life prediction tools, non-destructive evaluation (NDE) systems, and computational methods to relate manufacturing parameters to defect formation. The project’s objectives were to reduce design cycle time, increase inspection throughput, and improve quality control. By achieving these objectives, NASA aimed to accelerate the development and certification of composite materials and structures, enabling their wider adoption in the aerospace and other industries. The project has now concluded, but its content remains online for historical purposes.