Houston, we have a podcast. Welcome to the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center,

episode 326, podcast in a vacuum chamber. I'm Gary Jordan. I'll be your host today.

On this podcast, we bring in the experts,

scientists, engineers, and astronauts all to let you know what's going on in the world of human

spaceflight and more. How do you know if a system is truly ready for space?

When you build a spacecraft that's not just tightening that

last bolt and strapping that system on top of a rocket. No spacecraft

systems go through rigorous testing. Rockets fire their engines on the

ground, spacecraft are slammed with acoustics and vibrations,

capsules are dropped into water, and oftentimes a fully assembled vehicle is put in a special chamber

to prepare for the stress of extreme temperature and vacuum.

Now this thermal vacuum testing is often essential to verify a spacecraft's readiness for flight.

But just why do we use this test and what does it mean?

On this episode we're chatting with Jonathan Holman,

systems test branch chief in the engineering directorate here at the Johnson Space

Center.

We had them on the podcast back in 2018 to discuss the vacuum chamber testing

for the James Webb Space Telescope that was done here in Houston. At the time, we brought him

into the studio as we normally do, but on this episode, we got the unique privilege to record the interview inside a vacuum chamber.

Of course, not while in vacuum.

But the location allowed us to have a very interesting conversation while immersed in this unique and somewhat magical environment.

Chamber A is preparing to receive the Viper rover that will land on the Lunar South Pole this year,

...