Spacecraft mounted on a launch vehicle are exposed to vibrations, acoustic loads, shocks, and other severe environments during liftoff. Once in space, they must continue to perform reliably under thermal and ultra-high vacuum conditions. The Environmental Test Technology Unit operates a range of ground-based environmental test facilities that simulate these launch and in‑orbit environments to evaluate and verify the spacecraft’s durability and performance.
Acoustic
Used to test to what extent spacecraft can withstand huge blasts, and to identify the acoustic/vibration characteristics.
Vibration
Used to test the strength and vibration characteristics against dynamic load generated by electro-dynamic shakers.
Shock
Used to simulate a shock environment and to measure and analyze the shock levels applied to spacecraft.
Acceleration
Used to test the durability and verify the performance of spacecraft by applying acceleration using centrifugal force.
Thermal Vacuum
Used to validate the durability of spacecraft in the vacuum and thermal environment of space.
Radio Wave & Magnetic
Used to test the radiowave performance of spacecraft and to measure the magnitic characteristics.
Function & Performance
Used to measure and verify the mass, center of gravity, and moment of inertia of spacecraft.
