National Historic Landmark · laboratory · Houston, Texas

Space Environment Simulation Laboratory

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

Construction of Building 32Details - NASA Johnson Space Center, Building No. 32, Space Environment Simulation Laboratory, Chambers A and B, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, Harris County, TX HAER TX-109-B (sheet 7 of 7)Elevations, Chambers A and B - NASA Johnson Space Center, Building No. 32, Space Environment Simulation Laboratory, Chambers A and B, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, Harris HAER TX-109-B (sheet 4 of 7)High-Bay Isometric - NASA Johnson Space Center, Building No. 32, Space Environment Simulation Laboratory, Chambers A and B, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, Harris County, TX HAER TX-109-B (sheet 5 of 7)
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 5 in the Commons category

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 typeStructure
AddressLyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
CountyHarris County
ListedOct 3, 1985
Listed forEngineering
Level of significanceNational
Also known asSpace Environment Simulator Laboratory
Reference number85002810
Type of placelaboratory
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark
Contributing resources1 structure

The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗

Visiting

AddressLyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
Coordinates29.5608° N, 95.0883° W · Directions ↗
Also in Houston297 listed places in Houston → · walking tours →
Nearest national park unitBig Thicket National Preserve · 75 miles · on Park Atlas
Listing on the Register does not open the door. Unless a museum or park runs it, treat this as private property and see it from the sidewalk.

Explore

Map

Local history books for Houston

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  • Filipinos in Houston
    Christy Panis Poisot and Jenah Maravilla, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • The Cruiser Houston
    Mark Lardas, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Murder and Mayhem in Houston
    Mike Vance and John Nova Lomax, 2014
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Houston's River Oaks
    Charles Dain Becker and Joan Blaffer Johnson, 2013
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Port of Houston
    Mark Lardas, 2013
    Find at Bookshop.org

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.