How Engineers Overcame the Challenge of Installing a Giant NASA Space Telescope Test Chamber

NASA Engineers Installed Giant Space Telescope Test Chamber Despite Being Too Big for the Door

Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) used a crane to install a giant space telescope test chamber that was too big for the door. The chamber, which was built by the Korean Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), is customized to calibrate the SPHEREx spectrometer. The spectrometer will be used to study the universe's history, epoch of reionization, and ices.

The chamber was lowered into a basement through a removable section of the road. The installation was a complex operation that required careful planning and execution. The engineers had to ensure that the chamber was properly supported and that it would not damage the building during the installation.

The successful installation of the test chamber is a major milestone for the SPHEREx mission. The spectrometer is now undergoing final testing before it is launched into space in 2024.