Facilities and Testing

APL has staff and more than 90 specialized research laboratories providing approximately 90,000 square meters of modern, high capability laboratory, shop, office space, development and test facilities technical library, and conference centers.

The APL Reliability and Quality Assurance Group (SOR) provides program reliability, quality and system safety services. Its mission is to advance the quality objectives of programs and initiatives by providing qualified cost-effective parts and component testing, innovative technology, engineering and assurance services. SOR provides the following services and capabilities:

• Performance Assurance including providing program reliability, quality, and system safety services, preparing and assuring compliance to product assurance implementation plan, and maintaining a problem & failure reporting system.
• Quality Assurance including quality assurance engineering support for space flight hardware programs.
• Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical (EEE) support including providing real-time and on-line information through a Manufacturing Resource Planning system and providing material planning and control functions to support programs.
• Advanced Technology and Part Qualification including Automatic test equipment software development and test capability for gate arrays, micro-processors, memory, analog, and RF devices and Providing definition for satellite system radiation hardness requirements and radiation effects testing for hardness assurance, plus performing incoming inspection, test, and lot qualification on EEE space flight parts.

APL tests under conditions as close to the flight environment as possible. An essential component of our testing and assurance process is the Environmental Test Facility (ETF). The ETF provides laboratories, instrumentation, and data acquisition capabilities for thorough thermal and dynamic environmental testing of flight hardware at all levels of assembly. Continual research and development work is conducted in instrumentation related to properly simulating an environment, testing a package, and acquiring and analyzing the environmental test data. ETF structural dynamics and space simulation testing functions are performed in the Vibration Test and Space Simulation Laboratories.

Our Satellite Communications Facility (portions are owned by the U.S. government and some restrictions on their use may apply) includes three independent operational antenna systems. This station can support a wide variety of missions ranging from Low Earth Orbit through Deep Space. Recent antenna systems improvements and technology enhancements provide advanced capability. The new paradigm of "Shared Services, Multi-mission Ground Systems" makes the remote scheduling and data transfer capabilities of these systems highly attractive. Current capabilities include support for L-band, S-band, and X-band communications.