Spacecraft Magnetic Test Facility

Spacecraft Magnetic Test Facility
Spacecraft Magnetic Test Facility is located in Maryland
Spacecraft Magnetic Test Facility
Spacecraft Magnetic Test Facility is located in the United States
Spacecraft Magnetic Test Facility
LocationGood Luck Road, Greenbelt, Maryland
Coordinates39°0′24″N 76°49′31″W / 39.00667°N 76.82528°W / 39.00667; -76.82528
Built1966
ArchitectNASA
NRHP reference No.85002811
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 3, 1985[1]
Designated NHLOctober 3, 1985[2]

The Spacecraft Magnetic Test Facility, also known historically as the Attitude Control Test Facility, is an experimental spacecraft test facility at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, United States. It was built in 1966 to allow the evaluation of magnetic movement in crewed and uncrewed spacecraft, and for the precision calibration of magnetometers used in space flight. The building is constructed of non-magnetic materials and contains a magnetic coil system that allows the cancellation of the Earth's magnetic field. This unique building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985.[3][4]

The facility is currently managed by the Goddard Mechanical Systems Division.

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ "Spacecraft Magnetic Test Facility". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
  3. ^ "Maryland Historical Trust". National Register of Historic Places: Spacecraft Magnetic Test Facility. Maryland Historical Trust. June 12, 2008.
  4. ^ Butowsky, Harry A. (May 15, 1984). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Attitude Control Test Facility". National Park Service. Retrieved April 2, 2009.