Contact Us

General Inquiry: Associate Director, Engineering Directorate
Phone: 281.483.8991
Email: jsc-ea-partnerships@mail.nasa.gov

Mailing Address:
National Aeronautics & Space Administration
Johnson Space Center
Mail Code: EA
2101 NASA Parkway
Houston, Texas 77058

JSC Engineering Web Address:
jsceng.nasa.gov

Test Facilities Guide

Engineering Test Facilities Guide

Download the Engineering Test Facilities Guide (PDF).

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Partners In

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International Space Station

Space Station Collaborators

Robotics and Human Hand

Technology Transfer

Innovative Partnerships Program (IPP)

Human Space Vehicle Systems

    Human Space Vehicle SystemsIntegrated Spacecraft Propulsion
    Photo credit: NASA

    Johnson Space Center Engineering has over 45 years of combined expertise in design of space vehicle systems, combining structural design, analysis, testing, dynamic loads analysis, and performance and materials evaluations for manned and unmanned space-faring vehicles. Specialty areas such as reliable pyrotechnics, power systems and power quality, fluids management, batteries performance, cockpit designs, radiation-hardened avionics, space environmental effects, thermal protection systems, and reliable software are integrated at the vehicle level for system level optimum performance.

    We have the power to bring the disciplines and unique design requirements in an integrated fashion including the operation of the space vehicle. We can rapidly prototype conceptual spacecraft cockpit designs to explore cockpit concepts and evaluate designs. Although we are known for our contribution to aerospace, our expertise and facilities can also support a variety of other commercial applications.

    Capabilities

    • Avionics, Communication and Software
    • Radiation Resistant Hardware
    • Structure and Materials Development
    • Integrated Power
    • Thermal Management
    • Mechanical Separation
    • Integrated Spacecraft Propulsion
    • Spacecraft Cockpit Rapid Prototyping Design

Human Space Vehicle Systems Test Facilities

  • Antenna Test Facility

    Antenna Test Facility

    Tests antenna radiation distribution pattern performance for spaceflight applications in electromagnetic environments conditioned to simulate free space.

  • Atmospheric Reentry Materials and Structures Evaluation Facility

    Arc-Jet Testing Facility

    Provides capability to perform aerothermal heating environment tests representative of the convective heating conditions experienced by spacecraft during entry. Required for the screening, development, & certification of human spacecraft thermal protection.

  • Audio Development Laboratory (ADL)

    Houses the acoustic test facilities and supporting equipment for testing and development of audio communications and electro-acoustic systems and equipment.

  • Computer Cluster – Computational Electromagnetics Laboratory

    Computational Electromagnetics Laboratory

    Used for full-wave, frequency domain electromagnetic simulations. Support Shuttle, ISS, Constellation, and commercial entities such as SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corporation.

  • Communication Systems Simulation Laboratory (CSSL)

    Used for modeling and simulation of both proposed and actual spacecraft communication systems, subsystems, components, and parts. The laboratory hosts high-fidelity computer models of communication systems, detailed structure models, three-dimensional (3D) and planar cuts of antenna patterns, planetary terrain models, and propagation models.

  • Energy Systems Test Area

    Energy Systems Test Area

    Provides test facilities and personnel involved in hardware evaluation and problem solving activities encompassing many of the fluid and energy conversion systems required for human exploration and development of space, including pyrotechnics, power generation and storage, on-board propulsion, planetary resource utilization, fluid storage and distribution, and electromechanical and hydraulic actuation.

  • Electronic Systems Test Laboratory

    Provides design evaluation, RF interface compatibility, and system performance verification testing of spacecraft RF communications systems and their interfaces with external elements.

  • Materials Evaluation Laboratory

    Materials Evaluation Laboratories

    Provide analytical capabilities used in the analysis and evaluation of space flight hardware, failure analysis of flight and non-flight hardware, materials properties testing and advanced materials development.

  • Radiant Heat Testing

    Provides capability of performing multizone, high-temperature, radiant-heat testing of large spacecraft thermal protection systems & associated structures in a controlled pressure environment to simulate reentry thermal profiles, thermal gradient, & pressure.

  • Six-Degree-of-Freedom Dynamic Test Systems

    Six-Degree-of-Freedom Dynamic Test Systems

    Real-time, six degree-of-freedom, short range motion base simulator originally designed to simulate the relative dynamics of two bodies in space mating together.

  • Structures Test Laboratory

    Structures Test Laboratory

    Provides structural static and fatigue load testing to support space flight programs. Tests range from mechanical properties testing of materials to full-scale verification testing of payloads and spacecraft structures.

  • Vibration & Acoustics Test Laboratory

    Vibration & Acoustics Test Facility

    Provides vibration and shock testing of spaceflight hardware to ensure that functionality is not impaired by severe launch and landing environments.

  • Wireless Systems for Exploration and Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking

    View our advances in Wireless Systems for Exploration and Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking for use in space exploration.

  • Other Facilities

     · Electronics Development Laboratory
     · Integration Test Facilities
     · Mechanical Development Laboratory
     · Space Systems Automated Integration and Assembly Facility
     · Spacecraft Software Engineering Facilities

Multimedia Gallery

Featured Engineering Projects

JSC Capabilities Website