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SAFS: NASA’s Polarized Light Camera Makes Airflow Visible Like Never Before

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Source: NASA (.gov)
SAFS: NASA’s Polarized Light Camera Makes Airflow Visible Like Never Before
Photo: NASA (.gov)
TL;DR Summary

NASA Langley’s Self-Aligned Focusing Schlieren (SAFS) imaging uses light polarization to visualize airflows in wind tunnels, simplifying beyond traditional dual-grid schlieren setups. Since its 2020 debut, SAFS offers faster, cheaper, on-site flow visualization, captures complex shock structures around boosters, and is now used by 50+ institutions in 8+ countries, earning the 2025 R&D 100 Award and NASA’s Government Invention of the Year.

Topics:science#aerospace#nasa#safs#schlieren#technology#wind-tunnel
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  1. Award-Winning NASA Camera Revolutionizes How We See the Invisible  NASA (.gov)
  2. This award-winning NASA-made camera can photograph something invisible  Digital Camera World
  3. NASA captures shock wave at Mach 10 with new schlieren system  primetimer.com

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