#tbt or #throwbackthursday to 1963 when had TWO giant vacuum chambers. We tested #JWSTs flight instruments in the SES (Space Environment Simulator), which is the one at right. More information: When this picture was taken in 1963, there was no White House clean room. In those days, the Dynamic Test Chamber (left) occupied that space. The DTC could create a near-vacuum with mechanical pumps. The more robust Space Environment Simulator (right) augmented its mechanical pumps with diffusion and cryogenic setup, as well as a solar simulator to mimic spacecrafts exposure to the sun. Building 10 took about a year to construct (fall 1962-63), and the testing chambers shown here were both operational by early 1964. The SES -- with some modifications -- is of course still with us today. The Dynamic Test Chamber still existed as recently as 1973, but we dont know exactly Goddard took it out or when the White House went in. If you have information on this, let us know! Credit: NASA (if you have more info on photo credits, also let us know!)
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 16:34:13 +0000
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