LOOKING INSIDE BODIES
CT (Computed tomography) scanners, are commonly found in hospitals around the world. However, the technology’s origins can be traced back to pioneering work at NASA. During the Apollo lunar landing program in the mid-1960s, computer-enhanced digital image processing was created to enhance pictures of the Moon.
This technology paved the way for British engineer Godfrey Hounsfield to create the first CT scanner in 1972. This large piece of medical equipment uses a rotating X-ray source to take crosssection images of the body. A computer can then compile those images together to create a two- or three-dimensional image.
The technology then made its way back to NASA engineers in the late 1980s to allow them to take a look inside rockets. The Advanced Computed Tomography Inspection System (ACTIS) is essentially a giant CT scanner that enables aerospace engineers to spot any defects in the structure of their spacecraft or engines.