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| LISA Pathfinder science module vibration tests |
| The structural thermal model (STM) of the LISA Pathfinder science module has successfully completed a series of vibration tests at the ESTEC facilities in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. These tests are part of the spacecraft's system level mechanical verification. |
| Date: 19 Dec 2008 |
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| Integration of the Planck flight model solar array |
This is the final entry in the Planck Test Campaign journal series, which ran from September 2005 to November 2008. The journal covered the main activities during Planck's extensive spacecraft and instrument test campaigns. It was followed by the Planck Launch Campaign journal series, which ran from February 2009 until just before launch in May 2009 (see link in right-hand menu).
With the successful integration of the inner part of the flight model solar array to the Planck spacecraft on 25 November 2008 the project reaches another milestone. |
| Date: 26 Nov 2008 |
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| Planck Reaches 0.1 K |
| The thermal balance and thermal vacuum (TBTV) test campaign for the Planck spacecraft has been completed. During this campaign the spacecraft and payload were subjected to near-flight conditions inside a thermal vacuum chamber at the Centre Spatiale de Liège (CSL) test facilities. Over the course of about five weeks the spacecraft and payload were cooled down to operational temperatures. The extremely low operational temperature required for the HFI instrument was achieved on 22 July 2008 when the HFI bolometers reached 0.1 K (see Figure 1). |
| Date: 17 Nov 2008 |
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| Herschel moves to the Large Space Simulator |
| The Herschel spacecraft is now installed in the Large Space Simulator (LSS) at ESTEC ready for thermal balance and thermal vacuum tests. This is the final system test in the environmental test campaign series. |
| Date: 10 Nov 2008 |
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| Shocks but no surprises for LISA Pathfinder |
| LISA Pathfinder has successfully completed a series of tests devised to characterise the shocks that the spacecraft will experience at launcher separation and when the science and propulsion modules separate upon reaching the operational orbit at L1. |
| Date: 10 Nov 2008 |
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| System level acoustic tests completed |
| The LISA Pathfinder system level acoustic tests were performed on 9 and 10 September 2008 at the Large European Acoustic Facility (LEAF) at ESTEC, The Netherlands. The purpose of these tests was to confirm the load levels on the spacecraft units arising from random vibrations. Initial assessment of the test results indicates that the loads were as expected. |
| Date: 23 Sep 2008 |
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| LISA Pathfinder modules ready for acoustic tests |
| The LISA Pathfinder science and propulsion modules are now ready for acoustic testing in the Large European Acoustic Facility (LEAF) at ESTEC, The Netherlands. In the four weeks since the modules arrived at ESTEC engineers have been busy preparing the units for this first system test. |
| Date: 01 Sep 2008 |
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| Herschel Mechanical Tests Completed |
| Mechanical tests on the Herschel flight model spacecraft were successfully completed on 3 July 2008. On that day, the last vibration test was performed on the multi-axis hydraulic shaker at ESTEC. The spacecraft is currently undergoing electrical tests and will later be prepared for the forthcoming environmental tests scheduled for September. |
| Date: 04 Aug 2008 |
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| Start of Planck TBTV Test Campaign |
| Last week saw the start of the thermal balance / thermal vacuum (TBTV) test campaign for the Planck spacecraft. The test campaign is performed at the Centre Spatial de Liège test facilities in Belgium. |
| Date: 26 Jun 2008 |
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| Herschel Acoustic and Vibration Tests |
| The Herschel spacecraft is currently undergoing a series of mechanical tests at the ESTEC test facilities. These will verify the Herschel spacecraft compliance with specification requirements, ensuring that the flight model is ready for launch. The system level tests are being continued by the vibration tests, performed at the end of last week and the full length of this week. |
| Date: 25 Jun 2008 |
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| Test Chamber Fit Check for the Planck Spacecraft |
| Preparations for the upcoming thermal balance / thermal vacuum (TBTV) test of the Planck spacecraft are well under way at the test facilities of Centre Spatial de Liège. On Monday 19 May, the Planck spacecraft was placed inside the FOCAL-5 test chamber for a fit check. |
| Date: 30 May 2008 |
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| Herschel M1/M2 Distance Measurements |
| On Friday, 16 May, M1/M2 distance measurements of the Herschel telescope were performed. These measurements are carried out in order to verify the optomechanical stability of the telescope. They are performed before and after significant testing (mechanical and environmental), transport and handling activities of the telescope. |
| Date: 27 May 2008 |
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| Planck Activities at CSL |
| Wednesday, 23 April 2008, the Planck spacecraft arrived at Centre Spatial de Liège (CSL) in Belgium. After unloading and opening of the transport and storage container, the flight model spacecraft was carefully rolled out on the container trolley. At the CSL facilities, Planck will go through its final thermal and cryogenic spacecraft system test campaign over the course of several weeks. |
| Date: 14 May 2008 |
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| Planck Leaves ESTEC |
| Having completed the fine balancing tests inside the Large Space Simulator, the Planck spacecraft has left the ESTEC test facilities on a transport truck to Centre Spatial Liège (CSL). |
| Date: 25 Apr 2008 |
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| Herschel Telescope Integration |
| The large 3.5-metre diameter Herschel telescope has been mechanically integrated onto the interface structure on the cryostat. The successful integration of the telescope on Wednesday, 16 April 2008, comes just under a week after the integration of Herschel's solar array and sunshade on 11 April. |
| Date: 18 Apr 2008 |
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| Planck Spacecraft Fine Balancing in LSS |
| Wednesday 2 April the Planck flight model spacecraft was placed inside the Large Space Simulator (LSS) at the ESTEC test facilities for fine balancing. After the arrival on 28 March at ESTEC, unpacking, and several spacecraft preparations in the cleanroom, the Planck spacecraft was hoisted up from its ground support equipment (GSE) and transferred to the LSS by means of the overhead crane. |
| Date: 11 Apr 2008 |
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| Herschel telescope ready for integration |
| The Herschel telescope is now ready for integration onto the spacecraft! |
| Date: 08 Apr 2008 |
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| Planck Arrives at ESTEC |
| After a flight from Nice to Amsterdam in the night of Thursday 27 March 2008, the Planck spacecraft arrived by transporter truck at ESTEC early on Friday. Over the weekend the spacecraft was unpacked from its transport container, together with the mechanical ground support equipment (MGSE). |
| Date: 01 Apr 2008 |
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| Herschel Cryostat Cooldown |
| The Herschel spacecraft is set up in the ESTEC cleanroom where it is going through a cooldown, with the main helium tank in the cryostat vacuum vessel (CVV) slowly being filled with liquid helium. The setup for this carefully monitored process was started end January with a smooth cooldown of the helium tank to a temperature of about 4 K and complete filling with more than 2000 litres of liquid helium. |
| Date: 20 Mar 2008 |
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| Herschel Telescope Testing |
| The last two weeks have seen several testing activities around the Herschel telescope flight model in the cleanroom facilities at ESTEC. On 4 and 5 February the M1/M2 distance measurements of the telescope was performed. These M1/M2 measurements are to verify the optomechanical stability of the telescope under ambient conditions before launch. They are performed before and after significant mechanical and environmental testing, transport and handling activities of the telescope. |
| Date: 18 Feb 2008 |
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