Space Environment Simulation Laboratory
United States historic place in Houston, Texas. Added to the National Register in 1985, and a National Historic Landmark.

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What it is
The Space Environment Simulation Laboratory (SESL) is a facility in Building 32 at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center that can perform large-scale simulations of the vacuum and thermal environments that would be encountered in space. Built in 1965, it was initially used to test Apollo Program spacecraft and equipment in a space environment, and continues to be used by NASA for testing equipment. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Structure |
| Address | Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX |
| County | Harris County |
| Listed | Oct 3, 1985 |
| Listed for | Engineering |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | Space Environment Simulator Laboratory |
| Reference number | 85002810 |
| Type of place | laboratory |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 structure |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX |
| Coordinates | 29.5608° N, 95.0883° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Houston | 297 listed places in Houston → · walking tours → |
| Nearest national park unit | Big Thicket National Preserve · 75 miles · on Park Atlas |
Explore
Map
Nearby in Harris County
Local history books for Houston
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Guidebooks to historic places in Texas
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Space Environment Simulation Laboratory listed on the National Register?
Oct 3, 1985. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Where is Space Environment Simulation Laboratory?
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Harris County, Texas. The nearest national park unit is Big Thicket National Preserve, 75 miles away.
Source: Big Thicket National Preserve
Where is the nomination form for Space Environment Simulation Laboratory?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Is there cell service at Space Environment Simulation Laboratory?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 85002810. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.