a_v_bw_o_n (64-Space Simulator-29)
“This giant bell jar and the Apollo test compartment in its midriff is providing an atmosphere in which NASA’s astronauts will live on long space journeys. A three man crew will spend two weeks in the experimental apparatus at North American Aviation’s plant at Downey, Calif. Air and moisture are removed as the men are enclosed in the compartment within the bell. Then a special life system creates average cabin pressure equivalent to an Earth altitude of 23,000 feet.”
Hand-highlighted areas are due to this photo having been used for news/press release purposes, and I'm assuming the crude printing techniques of the time required the highlighting to provide definition and delineation within the photo.
Online "Apollo Spacecraft News Reference" extract, page 240:
Altitude Chamber and Airlock - Called the bell jar, this chamber was used for a 14-day simulated mission with three space-suited engineers in a CM. The chamber contains an environmental control system with an airlock. The chamber can be evacuated to 10 -4 torr (a hard vacuum), simulating conditions from launch to a 200,000-foot pressure altitude. The airlock contains instruments for the life support system. Ground support equipment was used to supply electrical power, potable water, and oxygen furnished in space flight by the fuel cell powerplants and cryogenic storage system.
At:
www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/CSM_News_Reference_H_Missions.pdf
The photograph is actually featured on page 239.
Additionally, an extract from "Drew Ex Machina website/Andrew LePage":
"Before a crew could fly Apollo into space for the first time during the upcoming Apollo 1 mission, more tests were required to verify the flightworthiness of Apollo. One means of doing so involved vacuum chamber tests employing flight-ready hardware. On April 13, 1966 three North American engineers – Richard Erman, John Moyles and Norman Abell – completed a simulated two-week mission with a Block I CM inside of a five-meter vacuum chamber at North American’s facility in Downey, California nicknamed “the bell jar”. While this proved that the CM could support a crew, a more thorough thermal-vacuum test of the complete CSM was required before the Apollo 1 mission could fly in February 1967."
At:
www.drewexmachina.com/2016/10/26/the-apollo-flights-to-no...
Further, per the last link below. with regard the building:
“THERMAL VACUUM CHAMBER B-288
In Building 288 Laboratory Test Facility was a Thermal Vacuum Chamber designed to test the Apollo Command Modules.”
Additional photos & excellent info:
www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum29/HTML/001089.html
www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum29/HTML/002012.html
Both above credit: collectSPACE website
Finally, all kinds of good & pertinent information & photos:
www.thespaceshipfactory.net/special-facilities
Credit: “America’s Spaceship Factory” website
a_v_bw_o_n (64-Space Simulator-29)
“This giant bell jar and the Apollo test compartment in its midriff is providing an atmosphere in which NASA’s astronauts will live on long space journeys. A three man crew will spend two weeks in the experimental apparatus at North American Aviation’s plant at Downey, Calif. Air and moisture are removed as the men are enclosed in the compartment within the bell. Then a special life system creates average cabin pressure equivalent to an Earth altitude of 23,000 feet.”
Hand-highlighted areas are due to this photo having been used for news/press release purposes, and I'm assuming the crude printing techniques of the time required the highlighting to provide definition and delineation within the photo.
Online "Apollo Spacecraft News Reference" extract, page 240:
Altitude Chamber and Airlock - Called the bell jar, this chamber was used for a 14-day simulated mission with three space-suited engineers in a CM. The chamber contains an environmental control system with an airlock. The chamber can be evacuated to 10 -4 torr (a hard vacuum), simulating conditions from launch to a 200,000-foot pressure altitude. The airlock contains instruments for the life support system. Ground support equipment was used to supply electrical power, potable water, and oxygen furnished in space flight by the fuel cell powerplants and cryogenic storage system.
At:
www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/CSM_News_Reference_H_Missions.pdf
The photograph is actually featured on page 239.
Additionally, an extract from "Drew Ex Machina website/Andrew LePage":
"Before a crew could fly Apollo into space for the first time during the upcoming Apollo 1 mission, more tests were required to verify the flightworthiness of Apollo. One means of doing so involved vacuum chamber tests employing flight-ready hardware. On April 13, 1966 three North American engineers – Richard Erman, John Moyles and Norman Abell – completed a simulated two-week mission with a Block I CM inside of a five-meter vacuum chamber at North American’s facility in Downey, California nicknamed “the bell jar”. While this proved that the CM could support a crew, a more thorough thermal-vacuum test of the complete CSM was required before the Apollo 1 mission could fly in February 1967."
At:
www.drewexmachina.com/2016/10/26/the-apollo-flights-to-no...
Further, per the last link below. with regard the building:
“THERMAL VACUUM CHAMBER B-288
In Building 288 Laboratory Test Facility was a Thermal Vacuum Chamber designed to test the Apollo Command Modules.”
Additional photos & excellent info:
www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum29/HTML/001089.html
www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum29/HTML/002012.html
Both above credit: collectSPACE website
Finally, all kinds of good & pertinent information & photos:
www.thespaceshipfactory.net/special-facilities
Credit: “America’s Spaceship Factory” website