Photograph of a NASA Technician Emerging from a New Space Environment Simulator

Original caption: GREENBELT, MD. - What might look like a knight in shining armor guarding his castle is actually a NASA technician emerging from a new Space Environment Simulator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The simulator is used to test complete unmanned spacecraft systems under the simulated conditions of outer space. The simulator is essentially a large vacuum chamber equipped with an artificial sun in its dome and an inner wall which is black and can be temperature-controlled to simulate the dark and cold of outer space. A mechanical spacecraft positioner inside the simulator orients test craft in relation to the overhead "sun" in the chamber. Although men do not enter the chamber when it is under vacuum conditions, they often must go into it to make adjustments when the "sun" is turned on, The silver suit provides protection against the ultra-violet radiation.



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