Space Environment Simulation Laboratory

The Space Environment Simulation Laboratory in Building 32 of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston is a historic industrial facility built in 1965 to test spacecraft and equipment under simulated space conditions. Originally used for the Apollo program, the facility still serves NASA for testing technologies and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985. The lab has two cylindrical test chambers that create a near-perfect vacuum and can simulate sunlight from various angles using configurable lighting systems. The larger Chamber A was upgraded to also provide extreme cold conditions for missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope, while the smaller Chamber B is used for more efficient testing of smaller objects as well as for simulating oxygen-rich environments. Here, you can get a look at the highly complex infrastructure that is essential for preparing space missions.