Summary
NASA's Glenn Research Center has a striking Space Power Facility with the largest vacuum chamber in the world, a vibration table, and a reverberant acoustic chamber. Hardware meant for human-crewed spaceflight must be validated at this crucial testing location. The Mechanical Vibration Test Facility (MVF), one of its main parts, uses 16 vertical actuators to replicate launch-induced vibrations and can test items weighing up to 75,000 lbs.
NASA hired Production Modeling Corporation (PMC) to do high-accuracy 3D laser scanning and modeling of the MVF in order to improve safety and simplify future test setups. The primary objective was to virtually plan the assembly of fall arrest scaffolding systems around large, heavy test articles.
Using FARO Laser Scanners, PMC captured detailed point cloud data of the MVF and delivered precise 3D models. These digital assets now support safer, faster, and more efficient scaffolding layout planning, reducing the risk of structural tipping and construction rework while improving operational readiness.
Project Background
NASA's Space Power Facility (SPF), which was first constructed as a nuclear decommissioning site, has developed into one of the world's most sophisticated spaceflight hardware testing facilities. The SPF, located at Plum Brook Station, a component of NASA's Glenn Research Center closes to Sandusky, Ohio, attempts to replicate in a controlled setting the harsh conditions that spacecraft encounter both during launch and during their spaceflight.
The SPF has three top-notch testing systems to support this mission: the loudest acoustic testing chamber, the largest mechanical vibration table, and the largest vacuum chamber on Earth. These assets make the SPF a “One Stop Shop” for qualifying space hardware for human missions.
The Mechanical Vibration Test Facility (MVF) specifically replicates the violent shaking a spacecraft endures during launch. Given the size and weight of the test articles, the MVF requires customized scaffolding to safely support and access these components, necessitating high-fidelity modeling for virtual planning and safety assurance.
Objectives
The primary objective of the project was to digitally document and model the Mechanical Vibration Test Facility (MVF) at the Space Power Facility to enable safer, more precise planning of fall arr est scaffolding systems. PMC was tasked with:
- Capturing highly accurate, as-built data of the MVF using laser scanning.
- Developing detailed 3D models based on cloud data.
- Enabling NASA engineers to virtually simulate scaffolding assembly before live setup.
- Minimizing the risk of test article tipping, worker injury, or structural misalignment during future hardware tests.
This digital groundwork supports efficient, scalable test preparation at the nation’s premier space simulation facility.
High-Accuracy 3D Laser Scanning and Modeling of NASA’s Mechanical Vibration Test Facility
Challenges & Requirements
The project presented unique technical and safety-related challenges due to the scale, complexity, and critical function of the MVF. The test articles evaluated here can weigh up to 75,000 lbs (34,000 kg) and are mounted using 16 high-force actuators. Ensuring these large assemblies remain stable during testing is essential to mission success and personnel safety.
Additionally, the design of fall arrest scaffolding must account for both structural clearance and operational access. Traditional planning methods could not account for minor but crucial site constraints, like beam irregularities, obstruction zones, or mounting interferences.
Accurate modeling was also necessary to avoid the risk of uncontrolled tipping during scaffolding setup, especially for non-uniform or tall test articles. Given that no two space hardware pieces are identical, NASA needed a flexible and precise digital reference of the MVF that could support virtual planning across different test configurations without repeated on-site measurement or physical prototyping.
Methodology
To ensure dimensional accuracy and planning precision, PMC deployed a high-resolution FARO Laser Scanner to capture as-built conditions of the Mechanical Vibration Test Facility (MVF). The scanning operation was completed in multiple sweeps to encompass the entire test chamber, actuator base layout, wall clearances, existing floor space, and overhead structural elements.
The laser scanner generated a detailed point cloud model of the environment, capturing physical dimensions, spatial relationships, and existing features with millimeter-level accuracy. This data was processed using FARO Scene software and integrated into industry-standard modeling platforms such as AutoCAD, Revit, and Navisworks.
PMC’s engineering team then used the processed point cloud to construct a fully navigable 3D model of the MVF. This model included all critical elements such as actuator positions, wall obstructions, beam placements, and equipment footprints.
The final 3D asset was shared with NASA via a secure cloud-based platform, allowing stakeholders to visualize the space remotely, assess interference risks, and simulate scaffolding configurations in advance.
This method eliminated the need for repeated field measurements and provided NASA engineers with a digital replica of the MVF, enabling efficient collaboration, error reduction, and confident planning for scaffolding and test readiness procedures.
Results & Benefits
The outcome of PMC’s involvement was a highly accurate 3D model of the MVF, grounded in real-world data and tailored for virtual planning. The model empowered NASA engineers to simulate fall arrest scaffolding layouts with precision, eliminating guesswork during physical setup.
This led to the following benefits:
Improved safety
Flexibility
Time savings
Cost efficiency
Conclusion
PMC’s 3D laser scanning and modeling work at NASA’s Mechanical Vibration Test Facility demonstrates the power of digital engineering in supporting space mission readiness. The highly detailed model of the MVF provided NASA with a virtual planning tool to design and deploy fall arrest scaffolding systems with precision.
This proactive approach has improved safety, decreased risk, and increased the effectiveness of test preparation. In order to ensure that vital hardware is qualified with assurance and accuracy in a controlled environment, PMC has assisted NASA in carrying on its tradition of innovation and dependability in human spaceflight by digitizing one of the most sophisticated vibration testing facilities in the world.