Design of a Spacecraft Integration and Test Facility at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

摘要

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) is dedicated to solving critical challenges as set forth by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department of Defense. JHU/APL participates fully in the nation's formulation of space science and exploration priorities, providing the needed science, engineering, and technology, including the production and operation of unique spacecraft, instruments, and subsystems. Built in 1983, JHU/APL's spacecraft integration and test facility has supported numerous successful missions ranging from the first, GEOSAT-A, which launched in 1985, to the most recent, Van Allen Probes, which launched in 2012. But even with all of the successful spacecraft developed in the facility, the building was beginning to show its limitations in terms of its ability to support larger, more complex missions. It became apparent in 2008 that additional spacecraft and instrument development facilities were desperately needed in order to support missions such as Solar Probe Plus and other potential new awards.