Science facilities

Environmental Science Lab

Eglin AFB, FL

Perform the basic and applied environmental research necessary to determine the environmental effects of a variety of conventional munitions, weapon systems, and related materials under development by the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate and to conduct environmental monitoring, chemical pharmacy operations and hazardous material/waste management to ensure compliance with Department of Defense, Air Force Instruction, Code of Federal Regulation, and State and local statutes and regulations. Review each project for compliance and determine environmental effects of weapon systems testing and munitions handling, storage, and disposal.

Full-sky Astrometric Mapping Explorer (FAME)

Washington D.C., DC

FAME is an astrometric satellite designed to determine with unprecedented accuracy the positions, distances, and motions of 40 million stars within our galactic neighborhood. It is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) and several other institutions (see About FAME). FAME will measure stellar positions to less than 50 microarcseconds. (To put this angle in perspective, the width of a typical strand of human hair would subtend 50 microarcseconds if you were viewing it from a distance of 130-190 miles.)

Meteorological Computing and Archival Facility

Washington, DC

Metrology and Calibration Lab

Lakehurst, NJ

Provides electronic/electrical and physical/dimensional calibration services in environmentally controlled facilities and assures that the services are traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The lab is a comprehensive Type III calibration facility

Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer

Washington D.C., DC

Since the invention of the telescope, astronomers have been striving for clearer definition of the objects they observe; this has led to the development of larger and larger telescopes. As we increase the size of a telescope, faint objects become easier to see and the detail seen in the object improves as well. The physical effect that limits the resolution of a telescope is called diffraction with the amount of diffraction decreasing with increasing telescope size and vice versa. To illustrate this behavior let's consider a pair of stars lying close together on the sky. One such pair could be the binary star system Mizar, visible to the naked eye and found in the handle of the Big Dipper. In the figures to the right, we have shown the hierarchy of stars in the Big Dipper to aid the reader in understanding the Mizar system. Mizar lies very close to Alcor, another naked eye star, and both may be seen as distinct stars by the unaided eye. This visual pair of stars is not physically connected by gravity. Mizar itself is a pair of stars, Mizar A and Mizar B, that are separated by about 14 seconds of arc, too close to be seen by the naked eye as a distinct pair. The eye, which has a resolution of about 2 minutes of arc, discerns the Mizar star system as a single star. However, with modest optical aids (binoculars, for example) it is resolved into a close pair. <br.< br>

Precision Clock Evaluation Facility (PCEF)

Washington, DC