November 3, 2013: Space Threat Assessment Testbed

Engineers completed a checkout of the Space Threat Assessment Testbed (STAT) space chamber. The checkout confirmed that Arnold Engineering and Development Center’s (AEDC) newest test chamber met 100 percent of the technical requirements. The Chamber was built to test the ability of satellite hardware to function in space conditions and gave AEDC the ability to provide prelaunch testing of satellite hardware for conditions that had previously been unavailable. STAT consisted of a 7 foot by 10 foot environmental chamber and the 7 foot by 7 foot article chamber. The system was scheduled to reach a fully operational status by November 2013.

STAT is a ground test facility for evaluating the performance of materials, components, subsystems, and small satellites in a test environment capable of providing conditions from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous operations.  STAT simulates natural orbital environment conditions ranging from quiet to various geomagnetic effects generated as a result of solar activity that can impact space assets. Self-induced environmental conditions associated with space systems may also be simulated during testing to investigate potential system-level interactions.  Test chamber conditions and test article observables may be accessible to program sponsors for test article monitoring and control under varying simulated space conditions. Local support is available at Arnold Engineering Development Complex for test planning and execution, and to conduct analysis of test results.  Using the STAT test cell for Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) of materials, components, subsystems, and evolving technologies in a representative space environment can lower development costs and reduce the risk of failure of mission-critical assets. The ability to simulate multiple environmental effects under controlled conditions in a single instrumented chamber provides significant flexibility to support customer requirements. Rapid reconfiguration of test articles and adjustments in test chamber conditions further contribute to a cost-effective test regimen.