ESA Science & Technology - Gaia Payload Module being lifted into the vacuum chamber base

In preparation for Thermal Balance and Thermal Vacuum testing of the Gaia Flight Model Payload Module (PLM) at Centre Spatial de Liège (CSL), Belgium, the PLM (bipods, optical bench torus, mirrors, focal plane array) is being lifted onto the vacuum chamber base, where it will be mated with a mechanical and thermal representation of the interface with the Service Module (visible in the background, covered with gold-coloured multi-layer insulation).