Jan 29, 2020   SOURCE: BusinessWire

NTS Re-Engineers Outgassing Analysis Service to Better Support the Space Industry

National Technical Systems, Inc. (“NTS”), the leading independent provider of qualification testing, inspection, and certification solutions in North America, is excited to announce a re-engineered approach to outgassing analysis, which includes testing in accordance with ASTM E595. Outgassing analysis is a critical service for customers in the space sector. With the re-engineered approach, customers benefit from a proprietary solution that addresses the industry’s need for customized testing requirements.

“Our unique approach to outgassing is a testament to our decades of experience serving the American space program,” said Rich Adams, CEO at NTS. The test involves a combination of technical expertise and effective control design to achieve the desired results. By quantifying the gasses released from specific materials, customers are able to better protect control surfaces and electronic systems. “We’re proud to offer the most robust testing solutions—along with the fastest turnaround times—to ensure components and systems operate successfully in the vacuum of space,” stated Adams.

ASTM E595 is a well-established, standalone test method which involves the quantification of the commonly desired TML (Total Mass Loss) and CVCM (Collected Volatile Condensable Material) material properties, but is also a method that is referenced in many performance and qualification specifications that analyze materials used in space applications. A test that directly collects volatile material as a result of exposure to a vacuum environment, the importance of understanding how every material used in a product’s design and construction might react in space cannot be ignored.

As part of NTS’s end-to-end capabilities to serve the space sector, witness plates and quartz crystal micro-balances (QCMs) can be used for additional analysis of any outgassed material to assist in our customer’s most custom space applications. With expertise at reaching low earth orbit vacuum levels, along with elevated and sub-ambient temperature extremes, NTS can also perform electrical material property testing at these extreme conditions.

NTS’s expertise in space testing is legendary, having participated in every major space program since the inception of manned space exploration. In a continuance of this legacy, NTS personnel are active on ASTM’s Committee E21.05, which is responsible for overseeing space technology methods that deal with contamination, such as E595. “With 28 laboratories in North America—along with the industry’s top thought leaders in testing—we’re ready to continue our dominance in the space testing sector,” said Adams.

About National Technical Systems

National Technical Systems, Inc. (“NTS”) is the leading provider of qualification testing, inspection, and certification services in North America, serving a broad range of industries, including civil aviation, space, defense, nuclear, telecommunications, automotive, industrial, electronics, and medical end markets. Since 1961, NTS has built the most extensive geographic presence in the United States, offering more than 70 distinct product qualification and materials testing categories, including climatic, structural, dynamics, fluid flow, EMI/EMC, lightning, product safety, acoustics, failure analysis, chemical, and other industry-specific tests. Operating through a network of 28 technologically advanced testing laboratories, this geographically diverse footprint puts NTS facilities in proximity to its more than 8,000 clients—allowing NTS to serve the nation’s most innovative companies with unmatched accessibility and responsiveness. NTS is accredited by numerous national and international organizations and operates its inspection division under the Unitek brand, providing a wide range of supply chain management services. NTS’ certification division, which operates under the NQA brand, is one of the largest and most respected global ISO registrars, with active certifications in more than 75 countries. For more information about NTS, visit www.nts.com or call 800-270-2516.