The Space Environment Simulation Laboratory (Figure No. 1) is one of the very large one-of-a-kind major test facilities located at MSC. The operations revolve around the two thermal-vacuum environmental chambers A and B. Thermal-vacuum testing of the sort performed in these facilities requires that several very hostile, conflicting natural environments of space be simulated, so that their combined effects on spacecraft performance can be determined. These are hard vacuum, deep space heat sink (space functions to absorb heat from anything placed in it if the object is warmer than about minus 452 degrees fahrenheit), solar radiation, reflected sunlight from the earth or moon (albedo), and heat radiated from the warm earth or moon (planetary emission). The 65 foot diameter, 120 foot tall chamber A (Figure No. 2) is the largest known facility which simulates all of these conditions simultaneously with a high degree of precision. It, and its smaller companion, chamber B (Figure No. 3), which is capable of comparable performance, are also the only such facilities which are fully man-rated, permitting crewmen to safely participate in the tests, either on board the test spacecraft or in extra vehicular activity.

Because of this unique and essential testing capability, chambers A and B have experienced a remarkably high utilization rate on the Apollo and Skylab programs, amounting to around 1800 hours of actual operating time per year for the past three years, with an even higher test load scheduled for this year. A vigorous program of facility modification to keep abreast of the state-of-the-art and to assure against obsolescence has been well supported by past congressional authorizations, and accounts in part for the high workload demand on the chambers. Because of its versatility and unique capability, this facility is viewed as a national resource, available to be applied to any manned or unmanned space program; however, the priority testing load from manned spacecraft programs has fully utilized the facility to date. Two recent major programs provide examples of the work performed in these chambers:

Manned tests of the Apollo Command and Service Module were performed in chamber A prior to the first manned Apollo flights in 1968. Beginning with the Apollo 15 flight, lunar missions will include operation of a new array of scientific instruments mounted in one bay of the service module, which was not included in the spacecraft originally tested. The instruments, including a subsatellite to be placed in lunar orbit, are collectively referred to as the Scientific Instrumentation Module (SIM bay) and are exposed just prior to lunar orbit insertion by jettisoning the door which covers that section of the service module. A thermal-vacuum test (Figure No. 4) was required to prove that all of the instruments would stay within their temperature limits and that there would be no detrimental effects as a result of the open bay. As an economy measure, it was decided to combine this test with another test of modifications to the service module required for the Skylab earth orbit mission. Since on the Skylab mission the spacecraft will remain generally in one orientation relative to the sun for a very long period, instead of being rotated slowly to evenly distribute the heat as on the Apollo mission, several design changes were necessary to keep propellants, batteries, and other components from becoming too hot or too cold. These include new heaters for the reaction control system (RCS) and service propulsion system (SPS), revisions to the thermal insulation in several areas, and changes to some of the external paint which controls how much heat is reflected or absorbed by the spacecraft. Four tests were conducted in February and March of this year, lasting from four to twelve days. The tests confirmed that the SIM bay would perform as expected and provided the necessary preflight confidence in that aspect of the Apollo 15 mission. The first Skylab phases of the test showed that the RCS was not performing as expected, so design changes were made and successfully verified in a later test of the series. The final test data, which are still undergoing analysis, have also disclosed several other areas where additional evaluation is required to assure Skylab design adequacy.

Chamber B has been used for tests of a wide range of space hardware, including the complete Lunar Module. One of its major uses has been in the final engineering qualification of space suits and portable life support systems (Figure No. 5). Final qualification of the Apollo Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU). the term used collectively for everything the astronaut wears while outside the spacecraft, was performed in chamber B in early 1968 before the first lunar surface operations. A series of similar tests which began on March 30 of this year is being performed to verify modifications to the suit and life support system (PLSS) necessary for the astronaut to operate comfortably on the lunar rover vehicle, and to provide the extended EVA periods associated with the Apollo 15 and subsequent missions. The chamber provides a very precise simulation of the thermal-vacuum conditions to be encountered on the lunar surface, including in some test sequences the severe heat load found while walking within deep lunar craters. Initial test results indicate that the new A7LB suit and the -7 PLSS are performing in an outstanding manner, providing a high degree of confidence in their operation during the mission.

Thermal vacuum testing is the only type of test wherein overall spacecraft design and fabrication can be verified by demonstration of integrated systems performance in the environment (simulated) in which the vehicle is intended to operate. Tests such as the ones described provide the capability for obtaining a high degree of confidence in overall spacecraft performance prior to committing to costly launch operations and have been important in identifying system anomalies and deficiences during the Apollo and Skylab programs. Future program planning presently underway contemplates continued heavy usage of this essential capability.

JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

SUMMARY OF CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE PLANS

MARCH 1971. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: I sincerely appreciate your invitation to submit for the record this summary of the current status of activities at the Kennedy Space Center and to outline for you our plans for the future.

Following this nation's first two lunar landing missions in 1969, the past year at Kennedy Space Center was characterized by an adjustment to a new manned launch schedule with a reduced level of activity as NASA initiated a reorientation of the manned space flight programs toward the achievement of new goals and objectives for the decade of the 1970's. In addition, the liquid oxygen tank failure of the Apollo 13 mission forced a penetrating re-examination of both flight and ground systems and accompanying operating procedures to ensure increased confidence and reliability in subsequent missions.

During the first 33 days of 1971, Kennedy Space Center launch crews successfully launched one of each of NASA's three major space vehicles. On January 25, an Atlas-Centaur carried Intelsat IV to orbit; on January 31, the Apollo 14 launch started Astronauts Shepard, Mitchell, and Roosa on their way to the Moon; and on February 2, a Delta vehicle placed a NATO communications satellite in orbit.

We are now moving ahead with the assembly and checkout of Apollo 15, and are on schedule for a planned launch date of July 26, 1971. We are making special preparations to receive and checkout the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which will be used for the first time in the Apollo 15 mission. Preparations are also underway for the dual launch of the Mariner-Mars orbiters in May.

As we continue to execute the remainder of the Apollo program, we are making the necessary hardware modifications to support the four Skylab launches in 1973. At the same time we are busy preparing plans to support the space shuttle. Viking, and other challenging programs that lie ahead. In this statement I will discuss, in order, the Apollo-Skylab programs, unmanned launch operations, several aspects of Center management, the status of cooperative efforts with the Air Force Eastern Test Range (AFETR), our Fiscal Year 1972 budget requirements, and our plans for the future.

APOLLO-SKYLAB PROGRAMS

At Kennedy Space Center the Apollo and Skylab Programs employ common facilities in the support of flight hardware from a single family of launch vehicles and spacecraft. Since August 1970 they have been managed through a single Program Office. It is appropriate, therefore, that they be discussed together. As a result of Apollo 13, we re-examined each of our ground support systems and sub-systems in minute detail and found that some corrective actions were required. For example, the materials used in all equipment exposed to oxygen rich environments in our checkout facilities were re-examined. Where there were questions of compatibility, the incompatible material or the equipment was replaced. We have also developed an alert monitoring system in our checkout equipment, so that if any one of hundreds of measurements is out of tolerance prior to launch, a positive alarm is automatically activated. This alarm forces attention of the responsible engineers to a possible errant system for their immediate evaluation and action.

Additionally, as a result of the lightning incident of Apollo 12, we are performing in-depth studies and experiments in order to understand the lightning hazards to space vehicles under various atmospheric conditions. During the launch of Apollo 14 a NASA aircraft equipped with electric charge instrumentation, and a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aircraft equipped with radiometers and carrying weather observers from the NOAA and the