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A variety of instruments, including hand-held anemometers, force gages, electronic levels and digital volt meters are available to users.
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Maneuvering aircraft may encounter a dangerous condition known as spin, caused by a sudden loss of lift over wings or control surfaces. NASA's 20-Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel (VST) is the only operational tunnel of its kind in the Western Hemisphere that conducts free-spin research using dynamically-scaled, free-flying models. The VST is a closed-throat, annular-return wind facility that operates at nominal atmospheric conditions, with velocities that can be rapidly adjustable up to 85 feet per second.
VST studies identify and quantify spin and spin-recovery characteristics of a given vehicle configuration. Related tumbling research identifies susceptibility to out-of-control pitch autorotation and strategies for safe recovery. Forced-oscillation capability has recently been added to the tunnel's rotary balance in order to measure body-axis rate-damping characteristics.
The VST has supported the development of nearly all United States military fighter and attack airplanes, trainers and bombers, as well as some foreign designs. It is the only resource available to commercial aircraft manufacturers for proprietary spin-and-tumble assessments of their products in a wind-tunnel environment.
In addition to supporting airplane development, the VST has provided key subsonic, dynamic-stability data for many non-crewed and human-rated atmospheric entry vehicles. Examples include Pioneer Venus, Stardust, and Mars Sample Return prototypes; and the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space capsules. Most recently, the VST is contributing to development of NASA's Orion crew exploration vehicle with free-fall, dynamic-stability assessments of the Orion launch-abort vehicle, as well as rotary-balance studies of the ARES Mars Airplane configuration.
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Above: Orion Launch Abort System model being tested in the Vertical Spin Tunnel at NASA Langley. |
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+ Read more about our capabilities... |
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NASA's ATP Program
Read about one of the largest, most versatile and comprehensive set of testing facilities in the nation.
+ View the fact sheet (PDF) |
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20-Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel
+ View the fact sheet (PDF) |
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"The right facility at the right time" - NASA Aeronautics Test Program |
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and Accessibility Certification