NASA Arc Jet Facility History

NASA researchers used the Arc Jet Facility at Johnson Space Center for over 40 years to provide researchers with the data necessary to develop spacecraft protective systems. From the dawn the space race, through the development of the Orion spacecraft, the Arc Jet facility allowed researchers the opportunity to test and refine spacecraft material and structural designs to determine what could withstand the extreme temperature, physical and chemical changes required to penetrate the atmosphere and return safely to earth. As NASA progresses on the Journey to Mars, the groundwork laid by Arc Jet researchers will prove invaluable.