Extreme Environment Ceramic-To-Metal Seal

The proposed Phase 1 program will demonstrate the feasibility of large ceramic to metal joints/seals that can tolerate extreme environments. The immediate application of the work is bonded sapphire viewports for a Venus probe. TvU's commercial viewport products have demonstrated that the pressure and temperature constraints of the surface of Venus will be met, while the use of materials appropriate to the atmospheric conditions will satisfy the overall physical constraints. The ceramic bonding and viewport systems will be shown to be adaptable to overall NASA use constraints. Task work will detail the design of the ceramic to metal joining process as well as a generic viewport design. A variety of alumina and sapphire fixtures will be fabricated and tested under wide thermal and mechanical conditions. A specific prototype viewport will be designed, fabricated and tested at Venus lander atmospheric conditions in Phase 1. Phase 1 work will lay out the foundation for a variety of prototype systems developed and tested in the Phase 2 program.