Shake & Bake: How Spacecraft Are Tested to Handle the Harsh Environment of Space

Have you ever wondered how spacecraft are designed to handle the punishing conditions of launch and the extreme variations of space?
From rocket vibrations, to the temperatures and pressures of space and other planets, to the solar illumination of the Sun, the Environmental Test Lab (ETL) at JPL is responsible for simulating these conditions and verifying, through a series of rigorous tests, that spacecraft will be able to fulfill their missions unharmed.
Join us for a live chat with two ETL experts who will teach us more about the equipment, the people behind environmental testing, and how they literally “shake and bake” spacecraft.
Speakers:
Brad Kinter, Group Supervisor, Environmental Thermal Testing, NASA JPL
Pete Landry, Systems Integration and Test Engineer, Environmental Dynamics Test & Instrumentation Group, NASA JPL
Host:
Marc Razze, office of communications and education, NASA JPL
Co-host:
Laurance Fauconnet, solar system public engagement specialist, NASA JPL
Original Air Date: May 16, 2024

[@mus3equal]

This was great, thanks!

[@DavinderSingh-ng6vb]

Very good

[@masterpeace]

Bet Lawrence has a hard time proving he ain't a robot 😊much love ❤

[@Rmm1722]

Good

[@unclvinny]

I would have asked about the axis of the shaking, whether rockets tend to be up and down, or side to side, and if instruments are designed to be more shake resistant along some axes than others. I assume they know what frequencies of vibrations are important, and if it varies from rocket to rocket. Super interesting topic, I never thought about it. Thanks! Edit: oh, he talks about axes a little…

[@railgap]

Hi! I was an environmental test tech at Martin-Marietta in the 1980s. Everything we vibrated was shaken on all three axis. This often requires the use of more than one shaker. Interestingly, at that time (don't know if this has changed since) stuff for defense or launch vehicles received only 'random' vibe, whereas anything for JPL/NASA/science missions received both random and swept vibe. Swept vibe could shake the whole building if the article was large. This despite the fact that the shakers were isolated from the floor around them, they sat on concrete slabs which sat on pillars that went down to bedrock (not far in that location). The 'random' vibe is actually not truly random, it is 'pseudorandom' with the spectrum filtered/limited to exactly what the planned launch vehicle generates. The electrical power requirements - the amplifiers - are enormous. One of our amps was rated for 250,000 watts (effectively). At higher required power levels, say if you wanted to shake an entire spacecraft, one has to use an acoustic vibration chamber, shaker tables are impractical for very large masses.

[@railgap]

The thermal vacuum chambers AKA "space simulation" chambers are unbelievably impressive...

[@NicholasNerios]

Safety first.

[@chrisholmquist7725]

This might seem like an odd question, but has a piece of wood ever flown in space? Has wood ever been used to good effect in any space-bound instrument?

[@railgap]

I googled that for you, and found no record of it being done yet, but Japan is apparently planning a wooden microsat right now. Lots of hits if you use a search engine.

[@zounds010]

The Ranger program was a series of spacecraft designed to impact the moon, and take photos while approaching the moon. The Block II spacecraft used for Ranger 3, 4, and 5 included two instruments in a big sphere made of balsa, intended to survive the impact and do measurements on the surface of the moon. All 3 spacecraft failed so we never got to see this work, but yeah, we put balsa wood on the moon.

[@Lion_McLionhead]

Wonder what the shaker does to a human.

[@TheStockwell]

It would probably be like the origin of Doctor Manhattan in "The Watchmen." 😏 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZKroZWNqZKAr6cfeature=shared

[@railgap]

Nikola Tesla did it to Samuel Clemens at his NYC lab, who found he suddenly needed the bathroom. It would depend on frequency and how you were attached, and by which parts. These systems are enormously powerful. Do a good job and it might break bones. :(

[@OverNine9ousend]

Defo not insipred by wake n bake :D

[@samstewart1640]

My question is when will you be testing homes for space?

[@TheStockwell]

Testing homes for space? 🤔

[@Professor_Sex]

@@TheStockwell it will solve the homelessness crisis

[@samstewart1640]

Basically homes made to go to Mars and be a forever home

[@railgap]

@@samstewart1640 A forever home to WHO? You know there's no breathable atmosphere on Mars, right? And you know the radiation exposure to people on the surface is much, much higher than here, because it has no magnetic field... right? If you just want to die in terror, or have kids with arms growing out of their backs, you can do that here, and our sunsets and sunrises are better too. ;)