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🚧 This document is still being actively worked on and is subject to change. 🚧

Authors

Eric Bu

Responsible

Janik Hackel

Last Updated

10/12/2025, 12:48:54 PM

Last Author

Kai Berszin

Thermal Vacuum Test Report

Issue date: <Insert Date>
Approved by: <Insert Name>
Responsible Test Engineer: <Insert Name>

Testing Equipment

Vacuum Chamber (from Maxon or LSG)
Testing Sensors produced according to the instructions in the SAGE-DR-TC
Temperature measurement system -> Q: Where will the sensor measurement board be (inside or outside chamber)
Connecter for data transfer (at LSG it was a 9 pin connector)n
Heat source (foil heater or solar simulator)
Rope or thermal isolated material (To avoid heat conduction) -> Q: Is this provided by maxon (if not we should use a polymer rope)

Lab Enviroment Conditon

Chamber pressure : 10^-3 Pa
Worst Case Orbits (used for simulation): Keplerian Orbit on an 600km altitude with a sun constant of 1327 W/m^2 and beta angle of 0 degree (between orbital plane and sun vector) -> Q: Do we need to provide the functions
Worst Case orbits (used for simulation): Keplerian Orbit on an 600km altitude with a sun constant of 1418 W/m^2 and beta angle of 90 degree (between orbital plane and sun vector)

Purpose

Simulate the orbital environment. Determine the component operating temperatures.

Test Method

The test is inspired by ECSS-E-ST-10-03C. Due to the limitation of time and resources, we cannot follow all its details.
The test will take 8 hours including 4 cycles.
Before the testing begins, the satellite shall be placed in the chamber in a way that it has the least thermal conduction with the environment. The sensors shall be placed in critical positions before equipping the heaters. The sensors should be placed according to the placement defined in the Overview Thermal Testing page.
The thermal cycling test will begin as soon as the chamber pressure is set. Each cycle will take 2 hours: the heater will heat up the satellite to its maximum temperature, ramain for around 45 minutes, and then cool down the satellite till its minimum temperature and remain for another 45 minutes.
The maximum temperature is 5 degrees higher than the highest temperature of each component, nad the minimum temperature is 5 degrees lower than the lowest temperature.
The test will be conducted without the electronics powered on.

Check Condition and Requirements

Before the testing begins, it's necessary to check the communication between the sensores and the computer. The placement and functionality of heaters shall also be checked.
For each heater a sensor shall be placed near by so that it is simple to confirm when the heaters turn on and off.
Test TCs should be attached with high-conductivity tape (3M Tape 8926 Series) to minimize the error if the TC ad lifts off the surface.

Test Results

Test Judgement

For a validation test, the functionality of each components and the satellite will be tested in order to ensure they could survive in the extrem condition.
In the thermal vacuum test, the heat distribution will be measured and compared with the expected value.
The testing criteria is: a buffer of 5 degrees to their limits (operation limits) at any point.

Todo: Add table with the expected values and the operating range of the components.

Component	Expected Values	Operating Limits
S-Band Antenna
UHf
COM Amateur Radio
COMs Tranceiver
OBC
Sensor Board
ADCS CubeMag
EPS Bottom Board
EPS Top Board
EPS Battery Board
Solar Panel - a
Solar Panel - b
Solar Panel - c
Panel d
Panel z+
Microfluidic Chip
bioBox bottom
bioBox up
ADCS Cube
External Sensors

Appendix

Photo of testing

Testing data

Testing Equipment​

Lab Enviroment Conditon​

Purpose​

Test Method​

Check Condition and Requirements​

Test Results​

Test Judgement​

Appendix​

Photo of testing​

Testing data​