13mφ Space Chamber


	This space chamber,which is a horizontally-laid vacuum cylinder of 13m inner diameter, is available to validate the durability of spacecraft in the vacuum and thermal environment of space. The vacuum environment of each chamber is attained by a combined evacuating system consisting of the mechanical, turbo-molecular, and cryogenic pumps. The space background is simulated by making use of black shroud panels that cover the entire surface of the inner wall. These shroud panels are cooled by the liquid nitrogen circulating through the attached pipes. The test objects put in the chamber can be heated by means of either IR lamps or xenon arc lamps. Arrays of IR lamps irradiate infrared light. And xenon lamps yield the parallel and uniform light beams simulating the Sun. The test article mounted on a test fixture can be remotely controlled to spin and/or to be angled during the test.