This project is to study the feasibility of developing an in-situ, compact, low-power, non-destructive X-RAY imaging instrument to investigate the ICE/rock critical properties, such as density,…

This is a $124,999 firm fixed price purchase order awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to Advanced Analyzer Labs Inc., a minority-owned and small disadvantaged business, to study the feasibility of developing a compact, low-power, non-destructive x-ray imaging instrument for investigating critical ice and rock properties like density, porosity, and chemical composition. The project is part of NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase I, with a completion date of February 15, 2019. This award builds on Advanced Analyzer Labs' prior SBIR work with NASA to provide prototype x-ray analysis and imaging systems for planetary science applications. As a small business, Advanced Analyzer Labs has also supported university research on additive manufacturing through subcontracts.

This project is to study the feasibility of developing an in-situ, compact, low-power, non-destructive X-RAY imaging instrument to investigate the ICE/rock critical properties, such as density, porosity, crack, and chemical non uniformity, liquid distribution and flowing path, etc. This proposed system will be built with compact low-power X-RAY components and an innovative system configuration. This imaging system would be expected to be less than 10 pounds with a total size as a shoe box. The sample could be either ICE or rock. The compact X-RAY imaging system has a significant potential to be useful for NASA S new frontiers and discovery missions cross most planetary bodies. The significance of the proposed technical innovation is from three aspects 1. To leverages the rapid progress in X-RAY source and X-RAY imaging sensor for building a compact and efficient system. To use a hybrid optic system to get multiple monochromatic and polychromatic beams for enhancing the system efficiency and capability in data collection. 2. To combine the beam system with an innovative scan mechanism for yielding the 3D multi-spectral images with rich information about the samples. 3. Furthermore, this proposed technology could be combined with other instruments, such as the mars chemin system, to form a synergy of the dual/triple modality. The process could be: first to perform the non-destructive multi-spectral 3D CT imaging with the samples, and then do the X-RAY diffraction (XRD) and X-RAY fluorescence (XRF) measurements after the samples to be grounded to powder. The synergy will yield a great amount of information, such as density, porosity, crack, phase composition, etc, as well as the chemical compounds, and trace elements etc. Of the samples. To gain such information covering a broad range of the fields would significantly help US to expand our knowledge about the solar system and the universe.