Spacecraft Systems Integration Lab

The SERC Spacecraft Systems Integration Lab (SSIL) provides the potential to conduct full fabrication, assembly, and checkout for spaceflight related hardware. SSIL is the SERC facility for producing breadboard, prototype, and engineering models of new concepts as well as flight qualified spaceflight hardware.




Fabrication, Assembly, and Test


The SERC SSIL was created to support development and testing of the wide variety of hardware required to build spacecraft systems, complete spacecraft, and spaceflight experiments. The SERC has assembled a suite of equipment in the 15,000 square foot SSIL that enables us to fabricate precision mechanical components, fabricate space rated electronic components, assemble systems and experiments, and conduct component and systems testing to simulate launch and space environments. This capability supports items ranging in size from that of a pencil sharpener to a GAS can.



The SSIL has experience in space flight hardware and is qualified to fabricate and test electronic circuitry, small structures, and components. This activity includes complete ESD workstations, which meet NHB 5300.1 standards, and all soldering, cabling, crimping and wire harnessing is performed per NHB 5300. The SSIL is a Class 100K clean area with a Class 10K clean room including a Class 1000 workbench. A sample list of test equipment located in the SSIL includes:

• Large-volume vacuum chamber (6 X 35 ft.)
• Bell jar style vacuum chamber, 2 ft. diameter
• Thermotron FA-64 environmental chamber
• Thermodynamic 3212 environmental chamber
• Class 10,000 clean room (with Class 1,000 enclosure)
• Eckoustic Panel Room EP 13-16 EMI/Acoustic room
• MB Dynamics C-125 8K shaker table
• Bruel and Kjaer 4812 Exciter Head
• Boice B401 Coordinate Measuring Machine

SSIL Support Operations



Procurement, inventory control, fabrication, and assembly in the SSIL is accomplished by highly trained technicians and skilled individuals with expertise in the assembly, testing, maintenance, and configuration control of spaceflight hardware and systems. SERC has a track record of successfully building and maintaining complex hardware systems to include an extensive background in the procurement of high quality aerospace grade components and raw materials and producing the necessary documentation required by our customers, including NASA, for flight hardware systems. All SSIL processes and procedures are documented and have received and passed NASA audits for material control and traceability needed to produce flight hardware.