Inside Hertz Chamber

A view inside ESA’s cavernous Hertz chamber for radio-frequency testing of satellites, which will be on show to the public during this Sunday’s ESA Open Day in the Netherlands.

Isolated from the outside world with radio- and sound-absorbing internal walls, the chamber simulates the boundless conditions of space.
Its hybrid nature makes it unique: Hertz can assess radio signals from antennas either on a local ‘near-field’ basis or as if the signal has crossed thousands of kilometres of space, allowing it to serve all kinds of satellites and antenna systems.

This photo was taken during a visit to ESA’s technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands by artist and photographer Monica Alcazar-Duarte: “Once the door of the chamber was opened I was presented with a landscape that could have come from a science fiction film. I know this is not the case of course but the room was incredibly inspiring.”

ESA’s Open Day in the Netherlands takes place on Sunday 8 October.