Northrop Grumman High Altitude Test Stand (HATS)

Alpha space based laser and Alpha Lamp Integration system facility; includes two large vacuum chambers, an integration area, and Class 100,000 clean room.

The High Altitude Test Stand was originally built in the early 1960s to perform altitude testing of the Lunar Module Descent Engine (LMDE). In the 1970's the facility was transformed to test the Mid Infrared Army Chemical Laser (MIRACLE) – now located at White Sands, New Mexico. During the 1980’s, the facility underwent major renovation and restructuring to become the test bed for the Alpha Space Based Laser.

Today, the HATS facility can handle many different test articles, from lasers to rockets to optical systems that need an isolated environment either at vacuum or ambient pressure. The capabilities in the test area provide a multi-use facility, which can easily accommodate large test articles for a number of applications.