International Space Station Passive and Active Common Berthing Mechanism Thermal Cycle Test.
Abstract
The International Space Station Alpha Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) thermal cycle test was conducted in the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) 12V Thermal Vacuum Chamber. The CBM is the primary mechanical interface for joining the International Space Station Alpha modules on-orbit. The CBM system consists of a pair of 6-ft-diam rings with the appropriate means to seal the joint upon mating. The first ring, called Active CBM (ACBM), houses the powered bolts which drive the two halves together. The second ring, called Passive CBM (PCBM), contains the seals which are energized when the two halves are mated. Each CMB is attached to its respective module with a sealed flange on a berthing plate. Both CBMs are in the developmental testing stage. AEDC's 12V Thermal Vacuum Chamber exposed the test hardware to the deep space thermal environment with the use of the 12V's Xenon solar simulator and internal liquid nitrogen (LN2) cold wall liner. The primary objective of this test project is to thermal cycle the passive Common Berthing Mechanism developed under the NASA-MSFC/Boeing International Space Station Alpha program. Performance parameters validated by tests include: thermal model validation, test article temperature, gross heat flux evaluation, and seal integrity survivability. The 68-day test matrix included 54 hot and cold thermal cycles consisting of six different hardware configurations, each requiring separate pumpdowns. The chamber performance for this project included a vacuum of less than 1 x 10E-5 torr and a background temperature of less than -250 deg F.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA315062
Entities
People
- J. D. Sisco
- J. S. Wilkerson
- L. G. Rogers
- W. G. Burt
Organizations
- Arnold Engineering Development Complex