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Sound Effects: Parker Solar Probe Passes Acoustic Testing

A team of engineers and technicians in cleanroom suits carefully move a spacecraft or satellite component on a wheeled platform inside a sterile facility. The equipment is wrapped in reflective material with wires and panels exposed, and a large, cone-shaped black and gold structure is mounted on top. The room is enclosed with plastic sheeting to maintain cleanliness.
Members of the integration and testing team roll Parker Solar Probe into the Acoustic Test Chamber at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman
When NASA’s Parker Solar Probe lifts off on top of a Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle in summer 2018, it will undergo both intense vibration from the physical forces of the rocket engines, as well as acoustic effects from the sound of the engines and the rocket going through the atmosphere.

Verifying the spacecraft and its systems are ready for the rigors of launch is one of the most important parts of testing. On Nov. 3, Parker Solar Probe passed vibration testing at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, or APL, in Laurel, Maryland, where it was designed and built. On Nov. 14, the spacecraft successfully completed acoustic testing at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and is now being prepared for further environmental tests.

Goddard’s Acoustic Test Chamber is a 42-foot-tall chamber that uses 6-foot-tall speakers –which can create sound levels of up to 150 decibels – to simulate the extreme noise levels of a rocket launch. While vibration testing focuses on how much the spacecraft will shake during launch, acoustic testing subjects the probe to intense sound forces, like those generated by the Delta IV Heavy. Each type of force affects the spacecraft differently, so both tests are necessary.

“We’re launching on a very large and powerful vehicle, so we need to make sure that the spacecraft, its systems, and its instruments are going survive the launch environment,” said Shelly Conkey, a Parker Solar Probe structural analyst at APL, who led the acoustic test. “We use our data models to predict the forces that will be impacting Parker Solar Probe, and by comprehensive monitoring of the spacecraft during testing, we can ensure that we’re ready to move on to thermal vacuum testing.”

Parker Solar Probe spacecraft will explore the Sun’s outer atmosphere and make critical observations that will answer decades-old questions about the physics of stars. The resulting data will also help improve how we forecast major eruptions on the Sun and subsequent space weather events that can impact life on Earth, as well as satellites and astronauts in space. The mission is named for Eugene N. Parker, whose profound insights into solar physics and processes have helped shape the field of heliophysics.

A technician in a cleanroom suit works beside a spacecraft wrapped in reflective material inside a sterile, enclosed testing area. The spacecraft features a large, cone-shaped black instrument on top and multiple red and silver components. A large circular sticker with a mission emblem is visible on the side. The surrounding area is covered with transparent plastic sheeting, and a round blue intake or exhaust port is visible on the wall nearby.
A member of the integration and testing prepares Parker Solar Probe for environmental testing inside the Acoustic Test Chamber at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman
A group of engineers and technicians in cleanroom suits gather around a spacecraft inside a sterile testing enclosure. The spacecraft is covered in reflective material, with a large black conical instrument at the top and various exposed components. Some team members are inspecting and working on the equipment, while others observe. The room is surrounded by clear plastic sheeting to maintain a contaminant-free environment.
Members of the integration and testing team prepare Parker Solar Probe for environmental testing in the Acoustic Test Chamber at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman
A spacecraft is positioned inside a sealed, sterile environment lined with clear plastic sheeting. The spacecraft is wrapped in reflective insulation and features a large black conical instrument on top, along with various antennas, wires, and a solar panel. A padded mat lies beneath the platform for protection, and a camera on a tripod is set up nearby for monitoring or documentation. A large NASA Goddard Space Flight Center logo is visible through the plastic wall.
Parker Solar Probe sits in the Acoustic Test Chamber at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman

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