§ 1210.6 - Test preparation and conduct.

(a) Programming by user. The user will be given the greatest possible freedom within the objectives of the scheduled program to obtain the quality and quantity of information desired, to determine the sequence and number of test runs to be made, and to make modifications to the program arising from the results obtained, subject to requirements of safety, energy conservation, practicability, and the total time assigned.

(b) Model systems criteria. Information will be furnished for each facility on the permissible size of model, standard balances, safety margins to be used in the design of models, model mounting details, and other pertinent factors. All model systems criteria required by the facility for safety consideration including the necessary drawings and stress analyses of the articles to be tested will be furnished at a time specified by the facility staff for their use in preparing for the test.

(c) Instrumentation. Each facility will provide basic instrumentation suitable for the test range of the respective facility and computing equipment for the reduction of test data. If the basic instrumentation furnished by the facility does not meet these test requirements, the user will provide suitable instrumentation which will be calibrated by the facility staff to ensure accuracy of measurement. This Instrumentation will be made available sufficiently in advance of the test date to accomplish the calibration. Serious delays arising from inaccuracies in user supplied instrumentation, if occurring during the scheduled test period, may result in reassignment of the position of the tests on the facility schedule. Detailed specifications and arrangements for special instrumentation will be established by mutual agreement. The user will be required to furnish all information necessary to prepare the data reduction software program at a date specified by the facility staff.

(d) Test program. All tests will be conducted under NASA supervision and by NASA personnel or by NASA support service contractor personnel unless approved otherwise by the facility manager. The test program shall be approved by NASA personnel before the test project is accepted. By agreement between the user (company representatives or the requesting agency) and the center staff, changes in the test program may be made within the objectives of the scheduled program if time is available. When tests are not totally conducted by NASA personnel or by NASA support service contractor personnel, the NASA Field Installation Safety Officer shall verify that the user personnel are fully cognizant of facility safety problems and operations. A current SAR on the facility shall be available to the user personnel for review.

(e) Test data. The NASA staff will be responsible for obtaining all test data, its reduction to suitable coefficient form, and the accuracy of the final data, but NASA will assume no responsibility for the interpretation of the data by others. Transmittal of the data will be made as soon as the test is completed and the data are deemed releasable by NASA. For company projects, the data will be transmitted as directed by the company. The data for Government projects will be transmitted simultaneously to the sponsoring Government agency and the contractor (if applicable), unless otherwise directed by the sponsoring agency.

(f) Shops and office space. During the conduct of user testing, NASA will provide desk space and at least limited use of the shop facilities to the user whose projects are under test.

(g) User furnished personnel. User personnel associated with each project will be agreed upon between the user and facility staff prior to the test.