Facility Focus
Highlighting a NASA Facility That Provides Function Beyond Space Exploration
White Sands
Test Facility
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| A night firing of the shuttle forward reaction control subsystem primary and vernier thrusters at White Sands Test Facility. |
White Sands Test Facility (WSTF), located in southwestern New Mexico, has been a part of the NASA Johnson Space Center since its construction in 1963. The primary mission is to provide the expertise and infrastructure to test and evaluate spacecraft materials, components and rocket propulsion systems to enable the safe human exploration and utilization of space.
WSTF is a preeminent resource for testing and evaluating potentially hazardous materials, space flight components, and rocket propulsion systems. These services are available to NASA, the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, universities, and commercial industry. Other service areas include research and development, technical consultation, technical capabilities and training.
For WSTF to do business with your organization, a reimbursable agreement must be initiated. Assistance to industry and non-NASA government customers is furnished on a cost-reimbursable basis. WSTF is able to provide a service that benefits the NASA facility and its customers. By working for clients, WSTF is able to maintain a skilled staff and increase test capability and knowledge. The customer who does business with WSTF gets the benefit of NASA’s state-of-the-art technology and expertise at a fraction of the cost of what it would take to generate the data themselves.
Testing for commercial customers will be approved if the following three requirements are met: a valid reimbursable agreement is in place; the customer has provided proof of general liability insurance, as explained in the reimbursable agreement document; a check for the funding has been received by the NASA JSC Finance Office.
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| A scientist in a state-of-the-art laboratory conducts testing of hazardous materials and propellants, air quality, aerospace hardware and ground support equipment and all materials used in space flight. |
For more information, visit http://www.wstf.nasa.gov/.
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