The latest acceptance test campaign carried out on behalf of Tyvak International on two 6U FM CubeSat satellites together with their flight dispensers and brackets has just ended successfully at the CIRA Space Qualification Laboratory. Vibrational and thermal vacuum tests will allow the two CubeSats flight systems (deployer + satellite) to be launched into space as part of the VV16 Vega SSMS POC mission currently scheduled for March 23rd, 2020.
The 6U satellites have been developed and manufactured by Tyvak within the ESA Earth Observation Small Satellite Challenge. They host 6 payloads including a GNSS Reflectometer, two optical inter-satellite link payloads, a hyperspectral imager and two inter-satellite link RF payloads.
The qualification campaigns previously carried out still at CIRA in the same laboratory and these last tests carried out had the aim to validate the behavior of the 2 6U CubeSats against vibrational (random) and environmental (thermal vacuum) operating loads, which the satellites will have to withstand during launch, deployment and staying in orbit.
Tyvak International is the European subsidiary of Terran Orbital and leading aerospace provider of nanosatellite and microsatellite vehicles, services and solutions. The experience gained and the technical capacity of the team give Tyvak International a significant heritage in the development of small satellites and related advanced technologies, design and operations of space missions and the provision of launch services.
About Tyvak International srl (https://www.tyvak.eu)
31/01/2020
