Scientists and students from Samara University named after Korolev have developed a compact space hardness tester — a device that allows measuring the hardness of metals, such as the skin of space stations and other external structures, in orbit.
Measurements using a hardness tester are necessary to assess the condition of materials, since outer space has a negative impact on metal: radiation, micrometeorite dust, temperature changes and deep vacuum lead to deformation and a decrease in strength characteristics.
The device is lightweight and energy efficient. Unlike traditional "earth" hardness testers weighing tens of kilograms, the space hardness tester weighs only about 5 kg and is much more compact than its counterparts. The basis for the innovative solution was an alloy of nickel and titanium with shape memory — nitinol. A small nitinol plate with a cross section of 1×5 mm is capable of developing a force of more than 200 kg, which is transmitted to a special "probe" with a diamond tip and allows you to accurately determine the hardness of the metal under study.
The prototype of the device has been successfully tested on Earth, confirming its operability. In the future, a compact hardness tester can be used to assess the condition of materials in real time directly in orbit — for example, using a robot manipulator that regularly monitors the skin of a space station.
The developers propose creating a test bench that will automatically test the reliability of new materials in outer space, where it is impossible to reproduce all its factors on Earth. A preliminary scheme of the test bench has already been developed, and in the future it can be installed on the Russian Orbital Station.
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