Arrival of world-first test facility

ESA’s ESTEC technology centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, took delivery of this 2.8m-diameter vacuum chamber to host ESA’s latest world-first test facility.

The Dutch Terahertz company in Groningen led the wide portfolio of mostly Dutch suppliers and companies that manufactured the 5–tonne stainless steel chamber. It was delivered to ESTEC last September.

“Since then we’ve been working flat out to integrate our new Lorentz facility, trouble shoot and test it,” comments antenna engineer Paul Moseley. “The project took place on top of our usual test support work, observing all COVID-19 safety protocols, but we benefitted from the strong support of ESTEC’s multi-disciplinary laboratories and facilities.”

“Now it is finally ready to begin operations,” adds antenna engineer Luis Rolo. “The result is a unique test facility for Europe – there’s nothing else like it anywhere in the world.”

To see the finished Lorentz facility in place, and learn what it does, come back to check next week’s ESA Technology image of the week.