Pyroshock testing at ESTA is a blast

The Propulsion and Power Division charted a path toward developing a pyroshock test capability, as shock environments are a concern during new vehicle design. Today, that vision is a reality. A fully functional pyroshock test capability is currently developing and qualifying hardware for Orion at Johnson Space Center’s Energy Systems Test Area (ESTA).

Subjecting hardware to shock environments with added margins in the ESTA Pyrotechnics Test Facility during development and qualification testing ensures reliability during missions, when in-flight shock environments are experienced.

A typical pyroshock test involves fixing a test article to a resonant plate. The resonant plate is excited using an explosive charge, which is sized and located to subject the test article to a specified shock environment. Each test article is normally receives a total of three shocks for qualification.

Shock data is collected using both piezoelectric shock accelerometers installed near the test article, as well as an array of non-contact laser vibrometers. The same instrumentation that is used to measure shock data during shock simulation tests can also be used to quantify source shock events, which helps define shock test environments for surrounding hardware.

Check out this video of a pyroshock test of Orion frangible nuts.

Gilbert Varela

NASA Johnson Space Center