About this property
The Space Environment Simulation Laboratory (SESL) is a facility in Building 32 at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center that can perform large-scale simulations of the vacuum and thermal environments that would be encountered in space. Built in 1965, it was initially used to test Apollo Program spacecraft and equipment in a space environment, and continues to be used by NASA for testing equipment. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985. The Space Environment Simulation Laboratory is a large industrial test facility on the Johnson Space Center grounds in Building 32. Its principal features are two test chambers, one larger and one smaller. Both are cylindrical chambers that have the ability to provide a near vacuum, and have configurable lighting systems for simulating sunlight from a variety of angles. Chamber A is the larger of the two chambers. It has a diameter of 45 feet (14 m), with a circular floor that can be rotated 180°. Test subject equipment can be maneuvered using four overhead cranes, each with a carrying capacity of 50,000 pounds. Equipment can be lifted into and out of the chamber using 100,000 pound cranes located outside the chamber. In addition to solar lighting arrays, the facility is capable of generating thermal plasma fields of a type experienced in the outer atmosphere and low Earth orbit. There are two man-sized airlocks, one at ground level, and one at 31 feet (9.4 m). These chambers are used for staging safety personnel during testing involving humans, and can be separately used for small-scale altitude tests involving low air pressures. NASA remodeled and upgraded the chamber to test the James Webb Space Telescope. As of 2013, it is the largest high-vacuum, cryogenic-optical test chamber in the world, 55 feet (17 m) in diameter by 90 feet (27 m) tall. It is equipped with a gaseous helium shroud capable of lowering temperatures to 11 K (−439.9 °F; −262.1 °C). Additional test support equipment includes mass spectrometers, infrared cameras and television cameras were installed to monitor testing. Chamber B is smaller, with a diameter of 20 feet (6.1 m), and is served by two 100,000 pound cranes. Like Chamber A, it has two airlocks; one of them is configured to a water deluge system and other elements needed to simulate oxygen-rich environments encountered on spacecraft. Its solar lighting array is also simpler than that of Chamber A, necessating the use of mirrors to achieve certain lighting angles. The smaller size of the chamber makes it possible to more efficiently perform tests on smaller objects with a more rapid turnaround time.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Space Environment Simulation Laboratory
This page lists Space Environment Simulation Laboratory. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Space Environment Simulation Laboratory listed on the National Register?
Space Environment Simulation Laboratory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 2, 1985.
What type of historic resource is Space Environment Simulation Laboratory?
Space Environment Simulation Laboratory is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Space Environment Simulation Laboratory a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Space Environment Simulation Laboratory has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Space Environment Simulation Laboratory?
The period of significance for Space Environment Simulation Laboratory is recorded as the modern era, specifically around 1965.
Can I research the history near Space Environment Simulation Laboratory?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Space Environment Simulation Laboratory will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Harris County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Harris County.
Explore HarrisCounty ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Space Environment Simulation Laboratory will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.