UK takes delivery of giant satellite test chamber

News

Satellite manufacturers will be able to test their spacecraft in the UK following the delivery of a 98 tonnes test chamber to the National Satellite Test Facility in Oxfordshire. 

Once assembled, the 16m long Large Space Test Chamber (LSTC) will use nitrogen cooled shroud panels to achieve temperatures ranging from -180oC to +100oC so that satellites can be tested for a range of space missions.

UK space: A new world of opportunity

The satellite test chamber completed its journey from the manufacturers Angelantoni Test Technologies Srl based in Massa Martana, Italy, to be installed at the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire. A team of commissioning engineers will travel from Italy to Harwell to complete the installation and testing of the vacuum vessel later in the year.

In a statement, Prof Chris Mutlow, Director of RAL Space said: “This has been an incredible feat of engineering and logistics. The installation of a facility of this scale is at the best of times fraught with complexities but this has been made even more challenging because of coronavirus.

"I am delighted that the chamber has completed its epic 5800km journey and is now safely in position in the National Satellite Test Facility where it will offer a new capability to the space community as part of the only set of co-located space test facilities at this large scale in the UK.”

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