MARK 1 TEST FACILITY
Posted 12/10/2008
Printable Fact Sheet
The Mark 1 Test Facility is a state-of-the-art space environment simulation test chamber for full-scale space systems testing. A $1.5 million dollar upgrade in fiscal year 2000 replaced existing oil diffusion pumps with a complete dry pumping system, cleaned the interior of the chamber and refinished the surface the (LN2) thermal shroud. A new Hewlett Packard 3852, with 1,500 channels of data capability, replaced the previous Micro-Vax data system. These upgrades, combined with the shear size of the facility, at 42-foot-diameter by 82-foot, postures AEDC for future testing of full-scale satellites and other space systems requiring a contamination-free test environment.
CAPABILITIES
Thermal: Chamber is completely lined with a liquid nitrogen shroud that can provide thermal conditions down to 77 degrees Kelvin.
Vacuum Range: ≤ 5x10-7 Torr to local atmospheric pressure.
Working Volume: 36 foot diameter x 70 foot tall.
Support Structure: 200,000 pounds /12-foot-square seismic mass provides vibration isolated of test articles.
Pumping System: Mechanical roughing pumps, turbo molecular and cryogenic high vacuum pumps, all with cryogenic traps.
Loading: Vertical: 20-foot opening in top of chamber, via a 15-ton precision crane. Horizontal: 8-foot diameter manway in the chamber side near the bottom.
Cold Wall: Lined with 77 degrees Kelvin liquid nitrogen, cryogenic shroud.
Special Features: Laminar flow optical quality clean room (400 square foot, better than Class 1000). 15-ton precision crane.
Data: All facility data time tagged and archived. 1,500 channel test data system available.
Work Areas: Test customer offices available. Limited hardware storage available. Two large bay areas available for test article build-up.
Solar Simulation: Infrared lamp arrays available for thermal cycling.
Other: 15 degrees Kelvin gaseous helium cryopumping capability available.
POINT OF CONTACT
Arnold Engineering Development Center, Office of Public Affairs; 100 Kindel Drive, Suite B-213; Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn., 37389-2213; DSN 340-4204, Commercial (931) 454-4204.
(Current as of 2007)
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