Space mission Space Testing Beyond Pressure

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GGB Heilbronn GmbH

Fastems Systems GmbH

item Industrietechnik GmbH

Why the test facility is becoming the critical system.

Every space mission is based on tests on Earth. Before spacecraft, propulsion systems or instruments are deployed, their performance must be verified under mission-relevant conditions. Creating space-like conditions remains essential. Increasingly, however, the challenge is ensuring that the test environment does not influence the behaviour being measured. Technical instruments such as optics and detectors are becoming increasingly sensitive. [1] Cleanliness and stable conditions are therefore crucial for a suitable test environment. One may think: The chamber has reached the target pressure below 10-6 hPa (mbar). Can the test begin? However, the pressure level itself is not the only target. Residual-gas composition, temperature, pressure stability and contamination are equally relevant.