GRASS gravimeter readied for vacuum chamber

The first instrument to directly measure gravity on the surface of an asteroid has undergone testing in ESA’s Mechanical Systems Laboratory. To prove it was ready for integration with Hera’s Juventas CubeSat, the GRASS gravimeter was subjected to spacelike vacuum and temperature extremes within a thermal vacuum chamber. Birgit Ritter from the Royal Observatory of Belgium is seen preparing the gravimeter for testing. GRASS was subjected to temperature shifts between plus and minus 35 degrees C over the course of a week in vacuum.