SPACE ENVIRONMENT TEST APPARATUS AND INITIAL COOLING METHOD FOR THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT TEST APPARATUS

摘要

The purpose of the invention is to provide a space environment test apparatus for performing initial cooling while reducing consumption of liquid nitrogen and an initial cooling method for the space environment test apparatus. Provided is a space environment test apparatus of a free boiling type comprising a shroud (7) provided inside a vacuum vessel (3) and cooled by being supplied with liquid nitrogen from a liquid nitrogen storage tank (5) and a head tank (15) for temporarily storing the liquid nitrogen supplied via a first supply piping (9) from the liquid nitrogen storage tank (5), supplying the temporarily stored nitrogen liquid via a second supply piping (11) to the shroud (7), and also storing the liquid nitrogen discharged from the shroud (7). The space environment test apparatus is characterized by further having a supply valve (17) provided in the first supply piping (9), an initial cooling piping (19) connecting the first supply piping (9) and second supply piping (11), and an initial cooling valve (21) provided in the initial cooling piping (19).