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Goddard Engineering and Technology Directorate

Vacuum Outgassing Database

Loading of samples into a NASA outgassing test system developed by Goddard materials engineers.
Loading of samples into a NASA outgassing test system developed by Goddard materials engineers.

Supporting NASA and the Broader Spaceflight Materials Engineering Community

Vacuum outgassing testing at Goddard Space Flight Center is conducted within Materials Engineering, to evaluate the outgassing emissions of potential flight materials in vacuum. The lab has established a comprehensive database of vacuum outgassing test data collected for over five decades, as a reference for NASA and the broader spaceflight engineering community.

Testing for outgassing is performed in accordance with the “Standard Test Method for Total Mass Loss and Collected Volatile Condensable Materials from Outgassing in a Vacuum Environment” (ASTME595), to determine the mass loss in vacuum and the amount of volatile condensable material. This test data can be used to substantiate low outgassing performance to verify the suitability of a material for spaceflight environments. 

The full database of vacuum outgassing test data can be accessed online using the comprehensive Outgassing Database. 

Outgassing Database
Technician monitoring data from vacuum outgassing testing.
Monitoring data from vacuum outgassing testing

Outgassing Test Facility History

NASA Technology

Anyone who can remember when cars had vinyl dashboards may be familiar with the hazy film that could appear on the windows during a hot, sunny day. This was the result of offgassing: volatile compounds in the vinyl, excited by the trapped heat, escaped into the air and condensed on cooler surfaces. Similar to offgassing, outgassing occurs when certain materials are subjected to the vacuum of space. Outgassing can pose a significant problem to spacecraft engineers, as their creations will be subjected to extreme temperature fluctuations due to the sun’s unfiltered radiation. If a film forms on surfaces, there won’t be anyone around to wipe…

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Vacuum Outgassing Database is managed by ETD’s Mechanical Systems Division (MSD). Contact MSD for more information.