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 WHAT IS NDE?
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Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) is the evaluation, inspection or examination of an object or device with
technologies that do not affect the test article's future usefulness. These inspection
techniques do not destroy the hardware, and have no significant impact on the integrity of the device under
testing. It provides an excellent balance between quality assurance and cost-effectiveness.
JPL NDE Laboratory provides an ESD-certified environment for flight hardware, and can be called
upon for inspection of critical hardware, components before and after assembly.
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| OBJECTIVES and CHALLENGES |
NASA principal objectives of smaller, faster, and cheaper mission's for unmanned space exploration have
resulted in JPL's development of micro spacecraft. These micro spacecrafts require integration of new
materials, electronic packages, and systems which lack the proven space related experience than those used
in previous missions. JPL has identified that a key enabling technology to assist NASA to achieve mission
success is in the area of Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE). Application of NDE of microelectronics is a
key method to reduce mission risk of high value/low volume critical component manufacturing.
As components further reduce in size and icnrease in complexity, JPL and NASA also face challenges of raised
current levels of NDE technology, capabilities to further increase resolution and sensitivity while decreasing
sampling size.
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