Environmental Erosion Capability

Rain, ice/hail, dust and other particle erosion testing have been conducted at the Test Track. A facility adjacent to the track can provide a simulated rain field environment ranging from 1 to 25 inches per hour natural rainfall. Rain erosion testing is conducted to study the erosive effects of extended supersonic or hypersonic flight through rain clouds on material samples, fuzes, sensors, radomes, inlet diffusers and other components of weapons and aerospace systems. The simulation of a reentry vehicle or ICBM entering a dust or pebble environment caused by a nuclear blast have also been demonstrated at supersonic and hypersonic speeds.