FIBA Technologies’ acoustic emission (AE) re-test and re-certification expert, Marshall Wilbert, has been given an insight into the vital need to ensure that the retest and maintenance of high pressure gas tubes is of the very highest standard.
Conducting AE testing on the tube trailers supplying air to trainee astronauts at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, Marshall was given a tour of the buoyancy pool where astronauts train for zero gravity life on the moon and the International Space Station.
Marshall was thrilled to see the 40 feet deep pool which contains sand for simulating the surface of the moon.
“Even more impressive,” says Marshall, “was the replica of the International Space Station which was also under the water.
“Two FIBA tube trailers supply the astronauts with breathable air for their training in the pool which takes about 6 hours per session.
“The trailers supplying the air were recently refurbished at FIBA’s Louisiana facility. To see them being deployed in such a critical installation really brought home to me the fact that the quality of the retest and maintaining the purity of the tubes is absolutely critical.
“It is heartening to know that customers as prestigious as NASA trust FIBA to supply and maintain products being deployed in such critical operations.”