🚀 Roman Telescope’s “Exoskeleton” Passes NASA’s Extreme Centrifuge Trials 🚀

🌟 Key Points: 🌟

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s Outer Barrel Assembly (OBA) underwent rigorous centrifuge testing at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
The OBA is designed to stabilize temperature and protect against stray light, ensuring its readiness for the 2025 space mission
Tests subjected the OBA to forces over seven times that of Earth’s gravity to ensure it can withstand the extreme conditions of space
🌌 Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s OBA Testing: 🌌

The OBA helps maintain a stable temperature for the telescope and protects it from stray light
Two-stage spin test conducted inside a huge, circular test chamber at Goddard Space Flight Center
The test generated forces equivalent to just over seven times Earth’s gravity, sending the assembly whipping around at 80 miles per hour
🌟 Stress Testing the Assembly Components: 🌟

The OBA was tested in parts due to its large size, standing about 17 feet tall and 13.5 feet wide
The “stilts” (elephant stand) went first, followed by the “house” (shell and connecting ring)
The elephant stand was tested with weights attached to simulate the rest of the assembly’s mass
The shell and connecting ring will be fitted with heaters to ensure the telescope’s mirrors won’t experience wide temperature swings
🌟 Advanced Materials and Assembly Design: 🌟

The OBA is made of two types of carbon fibers mixed with reinforced plastic and connected with titanium end fittings
These materials are both stiff and lightweight, reducing launch demands
The upper portion of the OBA features a honeycomb structure between inner and outer panels, reducing weight while maintaining strength
🌟 Final Assembly and Future Testing: 🌟

Designed at Goddard and built by Applied Composites in Los Alamitos, California
The OBA was delivered in pieces and assembled in Goddard’s largest clean room
It will be integrated with Roman’s solar panels and Deployable Aperture Cover at the end of the year
In 2025, these components will undergo thermal vacuum testing and shake tests to ensure they withstand space conditions and launch vibrations
Toward the end of next year, they will be integrated with the rest of the observatory
🌟 Virtual Tour: 🌟

To virtually tour an interactive version of the telescope, visit: NASA Roman Space Telescope Interactive Tour
🌟 Roman Space Telescope Spacecraft Details: 🌟

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland
Participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech/IPAC, Space Telescope Science Institute, and various research institutions
Primary industrial partners include BAE Systems, Inc., L3Harris Technologies, and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging
#NASA #RomanSpaceTelescope #SpaceExploration #Astronomy #Engineering #Testing #Centrifuge #GoddardSpaceFlightCenter #SpaceMission #Science #Technology #Innovation
📚 Interested in learning more? Check out these amazing science books and resources on Amazon that I've handpicked for you! Dive deeper into the subject and expand your knowledge. 📚

🛍️ Shop my recommendations: https://amzn.to/3AuBl1r

💡 Remember, when you purchase through my link, you're supporting my channel and helping me create more engaging science content for you! It doesn't cost you anything extra, but it means a lot to me. 😊

⬇️ Don't forget to:

Like this video if you enjoyed it!
Subscribe for more bite-sized science content!