Journal archive

Journal archive

Herschel moves to the Large Space Simulator
10 November 2008The 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.
Shocks but no surprises for LISA Pathfinder
10 November 2008LISA 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.
Herschel Mechanical Tests Completed
4 August 2008Mechanical 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.
Start of Planck TBTV Test Campaign
26 June 2008The first phase of the thermal balance / thermal vacuum (TBTV) test campaign has started for the Planck spacecraft, which is now inside the vacuum test chamber at Centre Spatial de Liège that is used to simulate the cold vacuum conditions of space
Herschel Acoustic and Vibration Tests
25 June 2008As part of the ongoing mechanical test campaign of the Herschel spacecraft at the ESTEC test facilities, a vibration test was completed Monday 23 June with the spacecraft shaken vertically along its X-axis
Test Chamber Fit Check for the Planck Spacecraft
30 May 2008Preparations 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.
Herschel M1/M2 Distance Measurements
27 May 2008Following the integration of Herschel's telescope with the spacecraft in mid-April, precision M1 to M2 mirror separation measurements were performed on Friday 16 May to verify the telescope's optomechanical stability after the integration
Planck Activities at CSL
14 May 2008The Planck spacecraft is currently at Centre Spatial de Liège (CSL) for thermal and cryogenic testing to demonstrate all spacecraft systems operate as expected under cold vacuum conditions that simulate those encountered in space
Planck Leaves ESTEC
25 April 2008Having 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).
Herschel Telescope Integration
18 April 2008The large 3.5-metre diameter Herschel telescope has been mechanically integrated onto the interface structure on the cryostat, marking an important milestone in the assembly of the flight model spacecraft.
Planck Spacecraft Fine Balancing in LSS
11 April 2008The fine balancing of the Planck spacecraft in light-vacuum conditions has been successfully completed in the Large Space Simulator (LSS) at ESTEC, with the spacecraft being spun repeatedly at 30 rpm between 3 and 9 April
Planck Arrives at ESTEC
1 April 2008The Planck spacecraft arrived at ESTEC during the night of 27-28 March. After unpacking, the spacecraft is now in the cleanrooms and prepared for moving to the Large Space Simulator for the upcoming fine balancing test in light vacuum conditions.
Herschel Cryostat Cooldown
20 March 2008Herschel's cooling system responsible for keeping the payload at the required operational temperatures close to absolute zero is currently cooled down to ~4K at the ESTEC facilities with several tests being performed on the spacecraft
Herschel Telescope Testing
18 February 2008The flight model of the Herschel telescope has underwent several tests in the passed two weeks to verify its optomechanical stability after transport as well as its interface with the spacecraft's cryostat using a reference plate
Herschel Telescope Flight Model at ESTEC
1 February 2008After arriving at ESTEC in mid-January, the flight model of the 3.5-metre diameter Herschel telescope has undergone a thorough inspection and is now set for a series of tests before integration with the spacecraft
Herschel Upcoming Integrated System Test
18 January 2008Now placed on its vertical support stand in the ESTEC cleanroom, the next main events for the Herschel flight model spacecraft are the bake out and in parallel the Integrated System Test
Herschel Flight Model Arrives at ESTEC
8 January 2008Saturday, 5 January, the Herschel spacecraft arrived at ESTEC in Noordwijk where it will undergo a series of tests during the coming months and eventually will be integrated with the telescope, solar array and sunshade.
19-Mar-2024 04:54 UT

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