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| #12: BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter Proto-Flight Mechanical and Propulsion Bus undergoes bake-out |
| The BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter Mechanical and Propulsion Bus Proto-Flight Model (the structure with integrated heat pipes and chemical propulsion subsystem) has been baked out in the Phenix thermal vacuum facility at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. |
| Date: 05 Feb 2013 |
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| #11: BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter Proto-Flight Mechanical and Propulsion Bus Arrives at ESTEC |
| The BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter Mechanical and Propulsion Bus Proto-Flight Model (the Structure with integrated heat pipes and chemical propulsion subsystem) has arrived at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands for its bake-out operation. |
| Date: 18 Jan 2013 |
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| #10: BepiColombo Mercury Transfer Module Mass Properties Measurement |
| The mass properties of the BepiColombo Mercury Transfer Module Structural and Thermal Model have been measured. The transfer module's primary task is to provide solar-electric propulsion during the mission's journey to Mercury. |
| Date: 17 Dec 2012 |
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| #09: BepiColombo Composite Spacecraft Separation Shock Testing |
| The BepiColombo Mercury Composite Spacecraft Structural and Thermal Model has undergone testing to demonstrate that it can withstand the shocks induced by the jettisoning of the launcher fairing and by the separation of the spacecraft stack from the launch vehicle adapter. |
| Date: 27 Aug 2012 |
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| #08: BepiColombo Composite Spacecraft Vibration Testing |
| The BepiColombo Structural and Thermal Model test campaign has passed another milestone with the completion of sine vibration testing at qualification level along all three spacecraft axes. |
| Date: 17 Aug 2012 |
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| #07: BepiColombo Composite Spacecraft Mass Properties Measurements |
| The mass properties of the BepiColombo Mercury Composite Spacecraft have been measured. This is the first time that the spacecraft structural and thermal model has been fully integrated, producing the configuration in which it will be launched and effect the transfer to Mercury. |
| Date: 10 Jul 2012 |
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| #06: BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter Mass Properties Measurements |
| The mass properties of the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter have been measured using specialist equipment in ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC). |
| Date: 20 Jun 2012 |
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| #05: BepiColombo Planetary Orbiter and Transfer Module mated for first time |
| The Structural and Thermal Models of the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Mercury Transfer Module were mated for the first time on 11 April 2012. The mating was performed to accurately position the inter-module hardware on the transfer module. |
| Date: 27 Apr 2012 |
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| #04: Structural model of the BepiColombo Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter at ESTEC |
| The BepiColombo Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter Structural Model arrived at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands on 7 November 2011, having been flown from Japan. In the coming weeks, the four components that make up the Mercury Composite Spacecraft will be prepared for integration into their launch configuration in preparation for an acoustic and mechanical test campaign. |
| Date: 07 Dec 2011 |
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| #03: Mercury Planetary Orbiter takes a simulated trip to the innermost planet |
| Thermal-balance testing of the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter Structural and Thermal Model, which has been under way in ESA's Large Space Simulator since 20 September, has been successfully completed. During these tests the conditions the spacecraft will encounter during the cruise to Mercury and while in orbit have been simulated, and a number of tests to characterise the spacecraft performance under some worst-case scenarios have been carried out. |
| Date: 12 Oct 2011 |
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| #02: Mercury Planetary Orbiter wraps up for hot work |
| The installation of high-temperature thermal blankets on the Structural and Thermal Model of the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter has been completed. The spacecraft has been mounted on its Thermal Test Adapter and transferred to the Large Space Simulator in preparation for thermal-balance testing. |
| Date: 05 Sep 2011 |
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| #01: Structural and Thermal Model of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter arrives at ESTEC |
This is the first entry in the BepiColombo Test Campaign Journal, a series of articles covering the main events during the integration and testing of the Structural and Thermal Models (STM) and the Proto-Flight Models (PFM) of the four major components that make up the BepiColombo composite spacecraft stack. The journal is expected to run until the completion of PFM testing in the fourth quarter of 2013; shortly after this, the BepiColombo Launch Campaign Journal will begin. |
| Date: 05 Aug 2011 |
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