Sentinel-1 thermal vacuum check

An engineer checks that the Sentinel-1 satellite is positioned correctly in the vacuum chamber at Thales Alenia Space. Once the chamber is sealed and the air has been pumped out to create a vacuum, the satellite is exposed to extreme temperatures. In orbit, Sentinel-1has to withstand huge fluctuations of temperature: from –265°C when facing deep space to 200°C when facing the Sun.