SPEAR high voltage mock up experiment

A full scale mockup of the high voltage section of the SPEAR II payload was fabricated at the UTA for the purpose of performing a macroscopic physical simulation of the high voltage electric fields in a simulated space environment to ascertain the likelihood of voltage breakdownon the payload, and to evaluate the preflight test procedures at the newly refurbished Space Power Facility at NASA PLUMbrook. High voltage pulses were delivered to the mock up by routing a coaxial cable through the high voltage resistance-graded probe. The electric field around the pulse transformer was simulated by fabricating a capacitance-graded structure of grading rings shaped as those in the payload transformer. An actual Klystrode was used to insulate the simulated anode and cathode components.