Roman Space Telescope TVAC Testing and Verification

The National Aeronautics and Astronautics Space Administration requires thorough testing and analysis of major projects before completion. My role last Summer was to integrate and test hardware for the upcoming Roman Space Telescope (RST) observatory project. I was employed as a thermal engineering intern for the Thermal Technology Development &Demonstration Facility (T2D2). My primary roles were to assist the laboratory with Thermal Vacuum Chamber Testing (TVAC), thermal hardware creation and installation, and general learning and understanding of thermal systems. TVAC testing is crucial to understanding how the spacecraft will function in the vacuum of outer space. I was placed in charge alongside another thermal engineer in testing two different aspects of RST, these being two different types of heaters. These tests were conducted inside thermal vacuum chambers in order to achieve the environment of outer space, where the spacecraft would be operating. We tested how these heaters would function at operational and survival temperatures to better understand their capabilities. I assisted in these tests by learning to fabricate thermocouple temperature sensors, assisting the lab technician with integrating the tests to the chamber, monitoring live data, and assisting with data processing after completion. We can submit the finalized data to the thermal team to make important conclusions on subsystems within RST. There were many challenges I had to overcome to succeed in this position, but using my resources I was able to come away with a wealth of knowledge that I can apply to my future studies and experiences.