Testing of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)

Spin TestThe spin test determines the spacecraft's center of gravity and measures characteristics of its rotation. It also provides a fine 360-degree display of LRO.

Thermal Vacuum TestUsing the thermal vacuum chamber, enginers confirm that all components properly operate over a range of temperatures and in vacuum. By varying the temperature of the walls around the spacecraft to simulate the hot moon, the cold moon, deep space, or sunlight, engineers measure the Orbiter temperature in different locations to observe the heat flow through the system.

Solar Array Test DeployEngineers deployed the solar array during the summer of 2008 on a Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) test model and under the duress of gravity. Later, the flight hardware was integrated, tested and deployed in the White House clean room at Goodard Space Flight Center.

High Gain Antenna Test DeployEngineers built, tested, integrated and deployed the high gain antenna at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Laser Ranging TestingThe Laser Ranging System is designed to measure the distance to the LRO spacecraft using laser pulses sent from Earth. The laser pulses are received by a small telescope attached to the High Gain Antenna and transferred via fiber optic bundle to the LOLA istrument where the pulses are detected. Sometimes, the laser pulses will arrive at the telescope from a slight angle. The Laser Ranging Telescope needs to be able to see these off-axis pulses. Engineers test the telescope by rotating it in front of a light source to make sure the telescope's field of view is wide enough to pick up those laser pulses.