![\"NASA's](\"https:\/\/wp-assets.futurism.com\/2019\/05\/nasa-mars-2020-spacecraft-test-300x158.png\")
<\/div>Mars 2020<\/h2>
The unmanned spacecraft that NASA wants to send to Mars in the year 2020 — if things go according<\/a> to plan — just underwent a series of extreme tests to prepare it for the extreme journey.<\/p> “First we blast it with sound to make sure nothing vibrates loose,” said David Gruel, launch operations manager at JPL, in a press release<\/a>. “Then, after a thorough examination, we ‘put it in space’ by placing the spacecraft in this huge vacuum chamber we have here at JPL.”<\/p> The spacecraft underwent acoustic and thermal vacuum testing at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.<\/p> Things got intense inside that vacuum chamber. After the facility’s 16-ton door closes, temperatures drop to -200 Fahrenheit (-129 Celsius). Then, powerful xenon lamps are turned on to simulate the sun’s harsh rays in outer space.<\/p> “This is the most comprehensive stress test you can put a spacecraft through here on Earth,” said Gruel. “We flew in our simulated space environment for a week and a day, checking and rechecking the performance of every onboard system and subsystem. And everything looked great — which is a good thing, because next time this spacecraft stack hits a vacuum, it will be on its way to Mars for real.”<\/p> READ MORE: <\/strong>Mars 2020 spacecraft subjected to brutal tests as it prepares for launch<\/a> [CNET<\/em>] More on Mars 2020:<\/strong> You Can Now Send a Souvenir With Your Name on it to Mars<\/a><\/em><\/p> The post Here’s How NASA Prepares Its Spacecraft for Mars<\/a> appeared first on Futurism<\/a>.<\/p> Go here to see the original: Mars 2020 The unmanned spacecraft that\u00a0NASA\u00a0wants to send to\u00a0Mars in the year 2020\u00a0\u2014 if things go according to plan\u00a0\u2014 just underwent a series of extreme tests to prepare it for the extreme journey. \u201cFirst we blast it with sound to make sure nothing vibrates loose,\u201d said David Gruel, launch operations manager at JPL, in a press release . Continue reading Hot ‘n Cold<\/h2>
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Here’s How NASA Prepares Its Spacecraft for Mars<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"