MSL NASA Social Participants Visit the Supersonic Wind Tunnel
Aeromechanical Test Engineer Christine Pastor-Barsi took NASA Social participants into the NASA Glenn 10 x 10 Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT) for a tour in August during a multi-center event focused on the Mars Science Lab Curiosity Rover.
During the tour, Pastor-Barsi explained that the SWT tested early models of the parachute system which was used during the Curiosity landing. Those on the tour also learned that this is the largest wind tunnel at Glenn and is specifically designed to test supersonic aerodynamic and propulsion components including full-scale jet and rocket engines. Test sections can reach speeds of Mach 2 to 3.5.
Image Credit: NASA
Bridget R. Caswell (Wyle Information Systems, LLC)