GRC-2012-C-02453

Space Power Facility at Plum Brook Station, RUAG Ariane 5 Shroud Separation Tests. GRC has the world's largest vacuum chamber in the world. This world class facility is host to many space launch vehicle systems tests from customer's in this country and from around the world. Shown here is the post test of a successful rocket shroud separation test. The shroud, or top of a rocket, is jettisoned into two halves with explosive charges to allow the payload to be exposed for deployment. The payload, often time is a satellite, would be sitting atop the center white section shown in the middle of the photo. This photo was taken from on top of the rocket holding the payload and both halves of the rocket shroud looking down at one of the shroud halves and the test crew at the bottom.