Environmental Capabilities

The EMPL has a number of environmental chambers capable of reproducing nearly any atmospheric conditions.

The large Mars Electrostatics Chamber (MEC) on the left has a volume of 1.5 cubic meters and was designed to simulate the Martian environment for electrostatic studies. This is a fully automated chamber with a graphical user interface that is capable of bringing the chamber down to 10 mbar and -90 degrees centigrade. A liquid Nitrogen cold plate may be used to cool the 1.43 meter by 0.80 meter deck if necessary. The deck and shroud can also be heated above 250 degrees centigrade if a bake out is required. The atmospheric control subsystem also provides an atmosphere of most gases at pressures from 0.01 torr up to 760 torr. Recent additions to the automation subsystem of the chamber includes complete automation of the temperature and pressures at any Mars latitude during the planet's diurnal cycle. In particular, the temperature and pressure values are all that is needed to simulate a Martian day. Camera systems are also in place so that users can see their experiments remotely on the web.

The large walk-in Environmental Chamber
is capable of performing tests from -34 degrees centigrade to 85 degrees centigrade at relative humidities ranging from 5% to 95%. Many triboelectric tests are performed in this chamber since humidity is a crucial parameter.

The small vacuum chamber
is also fitted with a small automated Varian vacuum chamber that is capable of pressures from atmospheric down to 10 e-7 torr. It too can be cooled with a liquid Nitrogen cold plate and backfilled with most gases.


Page and Curator Information
Responsible NASA Official: James Heald (James.R.Heald@nasa.gov)
Page Curator:
Dr. Carlos Calle (Carlos.I.Calle@nasa.gov)
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Last Updated: May 21, 2003