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| #08: Gaia Flight Model Payload Module thermal testing completed |
| Thermal balance and thermal vacuum testing of the Gaia flight model payload module was completed at Centre Spatial de Liège, Belgium, towards the end of 2012. The payload module was returned to Astrium Toulouse in mid January 2013 for integration with the service module. |
| Date: 20 Feb 2013 |
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| #07: Gaia launcher separation test and Payload Module acceptance vibration tests completed |
| Testing of the separation of the Gaia Service Module from its Launch Vehicle Adapter has been completed, as have the acceptance vibration tests on the Payload Module. |
| Date: 29 Oct 2012 |
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| #06: Gaia Payload Module integration completed |
| Integration of the Flight Model of the Gaia Payload Module has been completed. It has undergone acceptance vibration testing; thermal balance and thermal vacuum testing will be carried out towards the end of this year. |
| Date: 17 Sep 2012 |
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| #05: Gaia Service Module Thermal Balance/Thermal Vacuum testing completed |
| The Protoflight Model of the Gaia Service Module has successfully completed thermal balance and thermal vacuum testing in the SIMLES chamber at Intespace Toulouse. These tests verify the thermal performance of the spacecraft module under space conditions. |
| Date: 10 Sep 2012 |
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| #04: Gaia Phased Array Antenna delivered and integrated |
| The phased array antenna that Gaia will use to send its science data to Earth has been delivered and integrated onto the Service Module. The antenna provides the high gain and data rate needed to allow large volumes of data to be transmitted over the 1.5 million kilometres that will separate the spacecraft's operational orbit from Earth. The use of electronic beam steering allows the signal to be directed towards Earth as the spacecraft rotates; a conventional, mechanically pointed antenna would cause microvibrations, seriously impacting the performance of the telescope. |
| Date: 06 Jul 2012 |
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| #03: Gaia Basic Angle Monitor delivered for integration |
| The protoflight models of the two Basic Angle Monitor (BAM) Opto-Mechanical Assembly (OMA) bars have been delivered to the spacecraft Prime Contractor and are being prepared for integration into the Payload Module (PM). |
| Date: 11 Apr 2012 |
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| #02: Gaia sunshield deployment test |
| Deployment testing of the Gaia Flight Model Deployable Sunshield Assembly has been successfully completed in preparation for the spacecraft mechanical test campaign. |
| Date: 02 Dec 2011 |
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| #01: Payload Module vibration testing completed |
| This is the first entry in the Gaia Test Campaign Journal, a series of articles covering the main events during the integration and testing of the Structural Model (SM) and the Proto-Flight Model (PFM) of the Gaia spacecraft. The journal is expected to run until the completion of PFM testing; shortly after this, the Gaia Launch Campaign Journal will begin. |
| Date: 23 Aug 2011 |
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