NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Chamber A
Photo credit: NASA

Johnson Space Center’s Chamber A is a 16.8 m (55 ft) diameter x 27.4 m (90 ft) high, thermal-vacuum test facility and is famous for testing the Apollo spacecraft, with and without the mission crew. Its usable test volume and high-fidelity space simulation capabilities are adaptable for thermal-vacuum testing of a wide variety of test articles, including entire space vehicles. Test articles are normally inserted into the chamber by means of a precision, mobile crane. The dual crew-locks, when configured for human testing, provide a means for the test crew to move from ambient air pressure to the thermal-vacuum environment and back. They also provide for the maintenance of rescue personnel at convenient intermediate pressures during crew test operations. When the inner door is bolted, either of the crew-locks can be used as an altitude chamber for independent tests.

Photo credit: NASAAdditional test support equipment includes mass spectrometers, infrared cameras and television cameras. The numerous flanges at all levels provide ample pass-throughs for electrical, instrumentation and gasses to support large systems.

Chamber A is currently undergoing a major reconstruction effort in support of the James Webb Space Telescope test program. Once construction is completed, the chamber will include an ultra-clean hydrocarbon-free high vacuum pumping systems and the ability to simulate the extremely low temperatures of deep space (35K) within a 45 foot diameter by 80 foot tall shroud volume. The chamber systems will also be able to maintain class 10,000 clean room conditions for ambient operations.