Gaia Flight Model spacecraft on its support pedestal
Date: 30 May 2013
Satellite: Gaia
Depicts: Gaia Flight Model spacecraft on its support pedestal
Copyright: Astrium SAS
The Gaia Flight Model spacecraft on its support pedestal for electromagnetic compatibility testing in the EMC chamber at Intespace, Toulouse, France.
The pedestal elevates the spacecraft above the floor of the test chamber. Only in this way can the signals from the Phased Array Antenna (PAA), which is on the 'bottom' face of the spacecraft, be captured. The pedestal is made of Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP), to minimise its effect on the measurements.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
