Plum Brook to Put New NASA Vehicle to the Test
SANDUSKY — NASA Glenn Research Center’s Plum Brook Station near Sandusky, which has struggled to stay productive in recent years, now will play a leading part in the country’s next phase of space exploration.
During a rededication ceremony yesterday, NASA announced the station’s critical new role in the agency’s quest to send humans back to the moon and beyond.
The Space Power Facility at Plum Brook — the world’s largest space environment simulation chamber — will be used to test Orion, a new crew exploration vehicle designed for further research on the moon, Mars, and other destinations in the solar system.
"It’s amazing to say the words, ‘To the moon, to Mars, and beyond,’–" U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) said. "But indeed, that is what we are all about here."
The Space Power Facility will conduct environmental tests of the Orion spacecraft, simulating conditions during launch, in-orbit operations, and re-entry. Orion will undergo thermal, acoustic, and mechanical vibration and electromagnetic interference testing, chief scientist Anthony Strazisar said.
Robert Moorehead, Director of Space Flight Systems, said the tests were requested by Orion’s project manager, Skip Hatfield, and will determine if Orion and its operating systems are safe for flight.
The project is valued at approximately $63 million over a five-year period, from 2007 to 2011.
During this period, $57 million of the budget will be used for construction within the Space Power Facility. A new acoustic chamber and a mechanical vibration test stand will be added to the facility. Equipment to test electromagnetic interference will enhance the thermal vacuum chamber.
The remaining $6 million will be used for the testing, said David Stringer, Plum Brook Station’s director. He said the project will probably result in at least 80 additional jobs for the station.
Charles Scales, NASA Associate Deputy Administrator, said that because Plum Brook Station offers the only facility in the world large enough for full-scale testing, the project gives the center an enduring position in future space systems’ development.
"NASA Glenn now has an important role to play in the peaceful exploration of space," Mr. Scales said. "To think that in less than two decades, people will be able to look through telescopes and see the lights of a research center on the moon."
Woodrow Whitlow, Jr., Glenn Research Center’s director, said the new plans for the center would not have been possible without the strong partnership involving NASA, government officials, and community supporters.
U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R., Ohio), U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio), Miss Kaptur, and U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D., Cleveland) said they will continue to support NASA Glenn and the Orion project in Congress. Senator Voinovich said the political attitude in Washington toward NASA’s projects, such as Orion, is better now than it has ever been.
Contact Maggie Reid at: mreid@theblade.com or 419-724-6050.