NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) performs testing designed to better understand, improve, and verify the systems, capabilities, and materials used in space flight, and ensure safety during manned space flights. To fulfill this mission, WSTF provides consulting and chemistry support to a variety of customers, performs hazardous testing, and manages a wide range of research and development projects. WSTF state-of-the-art laboratories include general-purpose analytical chemistry laboratories, a metallurgical laboratory, and facilities that are designed for the safe handling and analysis of testing using hazardous chemicals, such as hypergolic propellants.


Vanessa Buchanan and Susana Harper perform space environment simulation testing at WSTF.

ASTM Test Capabilities

• Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products Using an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter (ASTM E 1354)
• Flash Point by Persky-Martens Closed Cup (ASTM D 93)
• Ignition Sensitivity of Materials to Mechanical Impact in Ambient Liquid Oxygen and Pressurized Liquid and Gaseous Oxygen Environments (ASTM G 86)
• Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb Calorimeter (ASTM D 240)
• Autogenous Ignition Temperature of Liquids and Solids in a High-Pressure Oxygen-Enriched Environment (ASTM G 72)
• Ignition Sensitivity of Materials to Gaseous Fluid Impact (ASTM G 74)
• Measuring Liquid and Solid Material Fire Limits in Gaseous Oxidants (ASTM G 125)
• Minimum Oxygen Concentration to Support Candle-Like Combustion of Plastics (Oxygen Index) (ASTM D 2863)
• Combustion Behavior of Metallic Materials in Oxygen-Enriched Atmospheres (ASTM G 124)
• Total Mass Loss and Collected Volatile Condensable Materials from Outgassing in a Vacuum Environment (ASTM E 595)

NASA Ignition and Combustion Tests, Conducted per NASA STD 6001

• Upward Flame Propagation (Test 1)
  
• Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rates by Cone Calorimetry (Test 2)
  
• Flash Points of Liquids (Test 3)
  
• Wire Insulation Flammability (Test 4)
  
• Odor Assessment (Test 6)
  
• Determination of Offgassed Products (Test 7)
  
• Impact Sensitivity in Liquid or Gaseous Oxygen (Test 13)
  
• Sensitivity to Pneumatic Impact (Test 14)
  
• Reactivity of Materials in Aerospace Fluids (Test 15)
  
• Promoted Combustion (Test 17)
  
• Arc Tracking (Test 18)
  

For additional information, contact Susana Harper, susana.a.harper@nasa.gov or Miguel Maes, miguel.j.maes@nasa.gov, (575) 524-5723.