Space Power Facility

NASA's Space Power Facility with RATF shown closest, then MVF and the modal plate, then the Thermo-Vac chamber

Space Power Facility (SPF) is a NASA facility used to test spaceflight hardware under simulated launch and spaceflight conditions. The SPF is part of NASA's Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility, which in turn is part of the Glenn Research Center. The Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility and the SPF are located near Sandusky, Ohio (Oxford Township, Erie County, Ohio).

The SPF is able to simulate a spacecraft's launch environment, as well as in-space environments. NASA has developed these capabilities under one roof to optimize testing of spaceflight hardware while minimizing transportation issues. Space Power Facility has become a "One Stop Shop" to qualify flight hardware for crewed space flight. This facility provides the capability to perform the following environmental testing:

  • Thermal-vacuum testing
  • Reverberation acoustic testing
  • Mechanical vibration testing
  • Modal testing
  • Electromagnetic interference and compatibility testing