YPSat passes first Mechanical Qualification Campaign

During the weeks of October 16th and 23rd, the Young Professional Satellite went through mechanical testing. This consisted of Sine Vibration Tests and Random Vibration Tests, with Shock Tests currently in preparation. The various mechanical tests inputs were varied to meet the specific requirements outlined by ESA and Arianespace, to be a payload on the upcoming Ariane 6 launch vehicle. Specific notching was applied to protect the hardware onboard the YPSat during this first Mechanical Test Campaign.

The workshop (EM022) supplied and manufactured the majority of the mechanical hardware. To integrate all spacecraft subsystems into the final assembly, the clean environment within the soldering laboratory was used. The Mechanical Systems Laboratory was then used to carry out the tests on the spacecraft. The entire qualification campaign followed a rigorous test procedure, as expected for the final acceptance campaign prior to launch.

The tests were done by the YPsat team and staff members. The assistance of numerous staff members made this test campaign possible. As an important step for the YPsat, this important test campaign has allowed the team to collect useful data, which will be vital for the upcoming mechanical functional test campaign, planned after January 2023. This final test campaign will be carried out with a complete functional flight model. Passing this milestone, the YPsat is being prepared for the thermal test campaign, which commenced last week.