scope:

Purpose

The purpose of this standard is to establish the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) requirements for any NASA system or component, flight or ground, where fracture control is a requirement. This standard defines the primary requirements for NDE in support of NASA-STD-5019, Fracture Control Requirements for Spaceflight Hardware. NDE applied in-process for purposes of process control is not addressed in this document.

It is the policy of NASA to produce aerospace flight systems with a high degree of reliability and safety. This is accomplished through good design, manufacturing, test, and operational practices including the judicious choice of materials, detailed analysis, appropriate factors of safety, rigorous testing and control of hardware, and reliable inspection. NASA fracture control requirements stipulate that all aerospace flight systems be subjected to fracture control procedures to preclude catastrophic failure. Those procedures frequently rely on NDE to ensure that significant crack-like flaws are not present in critical areas.

a. NDE processes shall meet the requirements in this standard to screen hardware reliably for the presence of crack-like flaws.

b. Nothing in this document shall be construed as requiring duplication of effort dictated by other contract provisions.

c. Conversely, provisions stated herein shall not be interpreted to preclude compliance with requirements invoked by other provisions.

Applicability

This standard is applicable to the fracture control of metal components, e.g. aluminum, steel, titanium, and nickel alloys for any NASA system or component, flight or ground, where fracture control is a requirement.

Conditional notes on applicability are presented in section 4.2.3.

a. The requirements described herein shall apply to fracture-critical hardware developed for NASA by NASA Centers, international partners, contractors, and outside organizations.

This standard may be cited in contract, program, and other Agency documents as a technical requirement. Mandatory requirements are indicated by the word "shall"; explanatory or guidance text is indicated in italics.

b. Tailoring for application to a specific program or project shall be formally documented as part of program or project requirements and approved by the Technical Authority.