Goddard Engineering and Technology Directorate

Environmental Test Engineering & Integration

Thermal Infrared Sensor 2 (TIRS) Loading into Chamber 225 for Thermal Vacuum Testing.
Thermal Infrared Sensor 2 (TIRS) Loading into Chamber 225 for Thermal Vacuum Testing.

Comprehensive Environmental Test Engineering: Ensuring Success in Spaceflight Integration and Testing

The Environmental Test Engineering and Integration provides comprehensive Integration and Test (I&T) services that enable mission success. The team provides projects with cleanrooms and test facilities for building flight hardware and ensuring that it will withstand the launch, space, and electromagnetic environments. The facility’s engineers perform flight and ground support hardware assembly, purge systems and cleanroom operations, and a full range of environmental testing: electromagnetics, structural dynamics, and space simulation.

The Integration and Test Complex is one of the most comprehensive and capable spaceflight test facilities within the United States Government. A full spectrum of test articles, including components, instruments, and spacecraft can be thoroughly tested in the I&T Complex to survive the launch, electromagnetic, and space environments. The complex testing capabilities include:

Structural Dynamics Testing:

  • Acceleration
  • Acoustic
  • Mass Properties and Spin Balance
  • Modal Survey Static Load
  • Vibration/Shock

Electromagnetics Testing:

  • Electromagnetic Compatibility
  • Magnetics

Space Simulation Testing:

  • Bakeout (outgassing)
  • Thermal
  • Thermal Balance
  • Thermal Vacuum

The Environmental Test Engineering & Integration team provides real-time I&T support to our government, science, and commercial partners (through the Space Act Agreement) through a skilled contingent of resident discipline engineers and technicians with experience in the design, building, and testing of proof-of-concept testbeds, ground support, and flight hardware for in-house and remote I&T operations.  We provide expertise in the design, operations and maintenance of test facilities.

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Prime Mirror Segment Assembly (PMSA) Operations in the Spacecraft Systems Development and Integration Facility (SSDIF).
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Prime Mirror Segment Assembly (PMSA) Operations in the Spacecraft Systems Development and Integration Facility (SSDIF).

ETD’s Integration and Test (I&T) Complex houses cleanrooms and high bays to build flight hardware. It provides co-located integration and test facilities for all phases of project I&T activities under one roof, reducing handling risks associated with pack and ship cycles to reduce mission risk.

Environmental Test Engineering & Integration is managed by ETD’s Mechanical Systems Division (MSD). Contact MSD for more information.