File:JPL Pneumatic Cannon Used In Impact Testing 355-1387bc.jpg
The impact test facility was located in a 500-foot-long concrete channel near building 103 which was used in the 1940s for the hydrobomb project. A 10-foot- diameter, 25-foot-long chamber was placed in the channel, with the cannon at one end. The webbed basket was inside the chamber, with the ram passing through a sealed opening. The chamber was placed under a vacuum of 2 psi in order to simulate the conditions of space. The Ramset pistol on the floor was used to release the internal piston. High speed motion picture cameras recorded the tests as the impact limiter was pushed into a target at the far end of the chamber. A catch screen made of chain link fence dropped down as the limiter passed the center of the tank, to prevent it from rebounding into the launcher basket.