Damage inspection and verification of tethers (DIVOT)

The feasibility of an optically-based noncontacting Damage Inspection and Verification of Tethers (DIVOT) System has been developed and successfully demonstrated. DIVOT can be used to inspect a tether for micrometeorite-sized damage sites quickly, at tether scanning rates exceeding 1 m/s. The DIVOT system concept is described and the DIVOT experimental setup for demonstrating the system is reviewed. The experiments are described and the results are reported. The establishment of a relationship between damage and optical response is discussed.