The High Capacity Centrifuge (HCC) is a 120 ft. diameter arm capable of accelerating a 5000 lb. payload to 30 G's (38 rpm) to simulate launch and landing loads.

The HCC is driven by one or two 0.93 Mw (1259 hp) DC motors operated in conjunction with a motor generator set.

Using the facility's 7.5 ton monorail crane, test items are mounted on a special low profile tilt fixture on the arm's test platform. The low profile tilt fixture simplifies the handling operations necessary to properly orient the payload to the desired load vector.

A larger tilt fixture is available that can tilt a 6,400 kg test item with a vertical CG 55” to 75 degrees. The HCC acceleration capabilities are diminished with the larger tilt fixture.

Onboard the centrifuge arm, the Vishay frontend unit provides signal conditioning and data acquisition.

In the HCC control room, a Windows PC provides test setup, instrumentation test control, data display, and data storage.

The facility is serviced by a Vishay data acquisition system. The Vishay data system is capable of various combinations of 120 channels of strain, deflection, and acceleration measurements.

Digital video of the test platform is also available for viewing and recording during the test.

Universal Static Test Facility

This facility is a structural steel framework designed for the application of static loads to spacecraft and shuttle payload bay carrier sized items.

Test items are mounted in the facility using a 7.5 ton overhead bridge crane.

Pre-drilled reaction beams facilitate set up and operation. Hydraulic actuators and associated load monitoring devices and load links are installed between the structure and the test item.

The applied loads are controlled by manually operated hand pumps.

The facility is serviced by a 120 channel Vishay data acquisition system that is capable of conditioning and recording strain gage, load cell, and displacement transducer signals.

MTS Landmark Universal Load Testing Machine

The MTS Landmark universal load testing machine is used for tensile, compressive, and cyclic fatigue testing.

The Landmark machine has a 100,000 lb capacity.