Every September, after the summer rain backs off but before the mornings get too cold, a pack of RATS descends on the desert near Flagstaff, Ariz., to spend two weeks testing technologies that will play a vital role in the future of space exploration.
“Our role in Desert RATS is to make sure everything can communicate, and make sure people back in the mission control building at Johnson Space Center can connect and interact with the test site," Seibert explained.
Additionally, the cryogenics surface systems group revealed a new technology that will allow lunar explorers to recharge their liquid air packs with super-cold consumables without the interference of lunar dust. Known as the "dust-tolerant cryogenic quick disconnect," it uses a special bellows-like enclosure around the contacts to protect the seals from the damaging dust
The interactivity, cooperation and rehearsals between the Desert RATS teams at various NASA centers and universities continue throughout every year, culminating in the annual desert test. This ongoing process means problems are rooted out long before new flight hardware.
No comments:
Post a Comment