Unique Goddard Resources

The Diffraction Grating Evaluation Facility (DGEF) is a world-class, advanced resource that was developed at Goddard to evaluate optical components such as diffraction gratings, mirrors, and filters as well as detection systems used in space instrumentation. The DGEF has the ability to measure imaging performance, scattered light, and spectral efficiency at the sub-arcsecond level over a spectral range of 30 to 1100 nm. The facility can accommodate optical systems up to 1 meter in diameter. The DGEF has been used to determine the performance of diffraction gratings, mirrors, filters, polarizers, telescopes, and imaging camera systems. For example, the 16 grating types that were incorporated into the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) that was installed into the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in 1997.

The EOSDIS Facility will allow scientists to access data about the Earth system quickly and easily. EOSDIS will command and control the EOS instruments and will process, archive and distribute the data from them.

The Facility offers a range of engineering services to mission designers, spacecraft builders and spacecraft flight projects. The FDF is also a leader in advancing the technical disciplines of orbit determination, attitude determination, maneuver planning, onboard navigation systems, and attitude sensor performance analysis. This includes work in new navigation techniques such as the application of the Global Positioning Satellite for spacecraft orbit determination, and advances in spacecraft autonomy. Currently, the FDF provides orbit and attitude determination for more than 15 NASA spacecraft, and also supports Space Shuttle operations and expendable launch vehicles.

This 30-g capability rotary accelerator capable of rotating 5,000-lb payloads at up to 30-rpm is housed in its own circular building 15. Tilt fixtures allow the orientation of test articles in a wide range of attitudes and angles. Controlled deceleration is also possible by operating the two 930-Kw DC drive motors in a regenerative mode.

Space Telescope managers and engineers control the orbiting observatory and maintain an around-the-clock vigil from an array of consoles.

The Integrated Mission Design Center is an exciting new endeavor of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The IMDC is a national resource dedicated to innovation in space mission design & advanced concepts development to increase value for NASA and its customers. The IMDC and its team of engineers is revolutionizing the mission design process in the initial phase of space and earth missions.  This pioneering Center, in its first year, is already shaping NASA's science-enabling process. Explore our Web site to learn more.

Located off-site in a magnetic-quiet area, a 40-ft and a 20-ft triaxial Braunbek coil magnetics test facility operated from a single control building is used to calibrate and align both instrumentation and satellite attitude control systems and determination of the dipole moment of spacecraft (critical to conservation of attitude control devices). Capable of nulling the earth's magnetic field in all three axes, the systems can impose static or dynamic fields ranging from +60,000 to -60,000 n-Tesla with a 0.1-nT resolution.

The NASA Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS)

The NASCOM network is a global system that provides communications support to all NASA projects. Voice, data, and teletype links are available through the network for connecting the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) with user spacecraft control centers. Land lines, submarine cables, and microwave/satellite links make up this communications system. The user services available from the Space Network, which includes TDRSS and its supporting Goddard elements, are provided through NASCOM.

The NSSDC provides online and offline access to a wide variety of astrophysics, space plasma and solar physics, lunar and planetary, and Earth science data from NASA space flight missions, in addition to selected other data and some models and software. NSSDC provides access to online information bases, as well as paper documents about NASA mission data held at NSSDC; other data at NSSDC; data held at sites other than at NSSDC; and the spacecraft and experiments that have or will provide public access data. NSSDC also provides information and support relative to data management standards and technologies. For online requests, send messages to: request@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov . For more information on NSSDC the url is http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov .

The Network Control Center, located at Goddard manages the total Space Network. The NCC schedules and configures the TDRSS and monitors the status data sent back for ongoing scheduled services. Operators schedule emergency services, isolate any problems in the system, and restore faulty user services. The Control Center has the ability to communicate with other ground tracking stations through the NASA Communications (NASCOM) network. Console operators monitor the network performances, schedule emergency interfaces, isolate faults in the system, account for system use, test the system, and conduct simulations.

All data from the TDRSS goes directly to Payload Operations Control Centers (POCCs). An "operations" control center can provide support to one or many spacecraft. Some are located at the Goddard Center and some are located at the site of the investigator. Equipment located in control centers handles all data, generates commands, and interfaces the communications. A payload control center also processes experiment status, command, and telemetry; handles attitude data for orienting equipment; controls payload operations and instrument sensors; and plans and analyzes the mission.

The QUADDL provides office and laboratory space for the Materials Branch and a state-of-the-art Class 100 clean room laboratory for the Electron Device Development Section.

The Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS) is the NASA Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS) source of expertise and user assistance for scientific visualization. High quality images and animations, the testing and consulting of visualization tools and methods, and the testing of tools for scientific data analysis are all functions performed by the SVS. The SVS is run by the Scientific Applications and Visualization Branch as part of the user services of the NCCS.

This three-story high thermal-vacuum chamber located in Bldg 10 features a 27-ft diameter by 40-ft high vacuum chamber capable of simulating temperature and vacuum conditions for virtually any satellite launch or orbit environment condition. This test chamber, recently upgraded at a cost of over $3M with 8 periphery-mounted cryopumps (to insure no test item oil contamination as is possible with diffusion pumps); a turbo-molecular pump (for chamber pressures below .00001 to .0000001-torr); and a new state-of-the-art MIMIC Control Panel for easy, safe, and reliable operation of the chamber. Shroud temperatures within the chamber can be controlled to -90 to +75C using gaseous nitrogen and to -180C with liquid nitrogen.

In this facility, Goddard technicians and engineers manufacture components used for spacecraft assembly. This includes the tools which the astronauts use in space as well as the spacecraft themselves. This facility includes a computer controlled milling machine which can make large spacecraft components and machines which can cut very complex small shapes with very thin wire. High precision machining, sheet metal forming and punching, material plating, welding and heat treating, along with the assembly of spacecraft and scientific instruments, are performed in this facility.

This 86,000 square-foot facility contains one of the largest "clean rooms" in the world. This cleanroom has played a major role in preparations for the Hubble Space Telescope First Servicing Mission. All of the instruments and devices to be installed on the observatory during the planned five Extra Vehicular Activity, 11-day mission have passed through this facility on their way to the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., where the mission (STS-61) was launched. Designed for testing and integrating spacecraft hardware, the Class 10,000 laminar-flow cleanroom provides an environment that removes 99.99 percent of all particles 0.3 microns and larger. The 12,500 square-foot (1,161 square-meter) cleanroom can accommodate two major space shuttle payloads. The cleanroom is a part of the $16 million Space Systems Development and Integration Facility, which opened in 1990.

This facility contains cleanrooms for spacecraft integration and special chambers for environmental test of spacecraft. Thermal-vacuum chambers, a vibration platform, and an acoustic test chamber are located in this facility. There is also a full-scale model of the cargo bay of the space shuttle and a 4-story model of the Hubble Space Telescope.