Friction Stir Welding Aids SLS

Four aluminum domes, each created using innovative friction stir welding processes, are seen in this overhead view of the Marshall Space Flight Center Advanced Welding and Manufacturing Facility in Huntsville, Ala. In this cutting-edge facility, a team of NASA and contractor engineers and technicians develops complex manufacturing processes aimed at achieving high-strength, defect free, uniformly bonded aluminum structures -- a vital requirement for next-generation launch vehicles and hardware designed for long-term space travel.

Image credit: NASA/MSFC/David Higginbotham