• Vacuum Chambers
  • Two world-class facilities (VF-5, VF-6)
  • Four intermediate facilities (VF-6, VF-8, VF-12, VF-13)
  • Multiple vacuum bell jars.
• Building Features
  • 50,000 square feet of laboratory and build-up area
  • 340 sq ft of class 1000 Clean Room
  • 15 Experimental Labs
  • Central control room
  • Machine shop
• Shared Facility Systems
  • LN₂ supplied by a 55,000 gallon dewar
  • Cooling tower water augmented with a closed loop cooling water
  • Closed-loop -45°C refrigeration 16 tons
  • Distributed DC Power for EP Testing
    • 200 KW (2000V, 100 A)
    • 40KW (2000V, 20 A)
    • 500KW (200V, 2500 A)

Vacuum Facility 5 (VF-5)

• High Power Electric Propulsion System Test Bed
• Dimensions
  • Overall 4.6m diameter by 18.3m long
  • Access 4m diameter by 9m long
• Vacuum System
  • World-Class Pumping Speed
  • 3.5 x 10^-6 l/s @10^-6 torr with cryo system
  • No Load Pressure 1 x 10^-7 torr
  • Cryopumps
    • 33.5 m² of helium panel
    • 750 Watts @ 20 K
    • Pumping Speed: 3,500,000 l/s air@1 X 10^-6 torr
    • Temperature Range 6 K to 20 K
• Diffusion Pumps
  • (20) 32 inch diffusion pumps
  • 250,000 l/s air @1 X 10^-6 torr
  • -45°C freon cooled chevron traps
• Multiple Test Ports
  • 1.8m diameter by 2.4m long
  • (2) 0.9m diameter by 0.9m long
  • 0.3 m diameter by 0.3 m long
• Automatic, unattended operation controls

Vacuum Facility 6 (VF-6)

• Large scale thermal vacuum facility for power system testing and high power electric propulsion
• Dimensions
  • Overall 7.6 m diameter by 21 m long
  • Access 6.7 m diameter by 18.3 m long
• Vacuum System
  • Pumping speed: 900,000 l/s air @1 x 10^-6 torr
  • Base (No Load) Pressure: 5 x 10^-7 torr
  • (12) 54 in nude cryopumps
  • (4) 3080-ft³/min root blowers
  • (3) 850-ft³/min mechanical pumps
• 3 m diameter by 3 m long test port
• Solar Simulation
  • Specially designed for solar concentrated power
  • Earth Orbit Solar Input (5m target)
  • Mercury Orbit Solar Input (30cm target)
  • One degree subtense angle (World-class)
  • (9) 30 kW Xenon Lamps
  • 10% Uniformity
• Thermal Simulation
  • LN₂ cooled (77deg K) shroud
  • 240-kW thermal rejection
  • 300 m longitudinal shroud
  • 6.6m diameter by 18m long max access
  • Divided into three segments longitudinally
• Automatic, unattended operation

Vacuum Facility 8 (VF-8)

• Low Power Electric Propulsion Testbed
• Dimensions
  • Overall 1.5m diameter by 4.5m long
  • Access 1.3m diameter by 4.3m long
• Vacuum System
  • Pumping speed: 120,000 l/s air @10^-5 torr
  • 4 x 10^-7 torr base (no load) pressure
  • (4) 35-inch diameter oil diffusion pumps
  • (1) 3080 ft³/min root blower
  • (2) 300 ft³/min mechanical pump
• Test Ports
  • End port: 0.9m diameter by 0.8m long
  • Side port: 0.6m diameter by 0.6m long
• Gaseous Feed Systems
  • Hydrogen, nitrogen, ammonia
• Automatic, unattended operation

Vacuum Facility 12 (VF-12)

• Medium to High Power Electrostatic Thruster Testbed
• Dimensions
  • Overall 3.0m diameter by 9.0m long
  • Access 2.5m diameter by 5.0m long
• Vacuum System
  • Pumping speed: 1,000,000 l/s air @10^-5 torr
  • 8 x 10^-8 torr base (no load) pressure
  • Cryopanels 350 W @20K
• Automatic, unattended operation

Vacuum Facility 13 (VF-13)

• Pulsed Plasma Thruster Testbed
• Dimensions
  • Overall 1.5m diameter by 3.5m long
  • Upper 2.75m is removable
• Vacuum System
  • Pumping speed: 10,500 l/s air at 10^-6 torr
  • 4 x 10^-7 torr base (no load) pressure
  • 20 in. Cryopump and Turbo Pump
  • Quick turnaround by isolating high vacuum pump system
• Automatic, unattended operation

Vacuum Facility 67 (VF-67)

• Stirling Converter Testbed
• Dimensions
  • Overall 1.0m diameter by 3.0m long
• Vacuum System
  • Pumping speed: 10,000 l/s air @10^-6 torr
  • 9x10^-7 torr base (no load) pressure
  • 20-inch Cryopump
• Automatic, unattended operation