Test Facilities

Vacuum chambers are dedicated to expose space instruments or complete satellite to representative space conditions in permanent or transient thermal environment.

Two shakers from 88 kN to 200 kN complete the test facilities offer and can simulate, along the 3-axes, the mechanical perturbations seen during launch.

The five CSL facilities FOCAL X, FOCAL 5, FOCAL 3, FOCAL 2 and FOCAL 1.5 vacuum chambers and the shakers are located in rooms where the cleanliness level is permanently controlled. The complete volume is recycled 6 times per hour.

Thermal environments inside the vacuum chambers can be simulated by means of dedicated shrouds, fed with nitrogen and/or helium.

A climatic chamber specially designed to carry out tests with precise climatic conditions and stringent cleanliness requirements is available at CSL. Particulate and molecular witnesses can follow the level of contamination if requested.

Some equipments are available at CSL and can be used on all the test vacuum facilities.