Comet Interceptor’s probe proves structurally sound

Preparing for launch in 2029, ESA’s Comet Interceptor mission is currently in the building and testing stage of development. What you see here is the Structural Qualification Model (SQM) of Probe B2, one of the two small probes that will detach from the main spacecraft when the mission’s target comet is nearby.  

The SQM is used to test whether the spacecraft design is robust enough to (among other things) withstand being launched into space. It has the same shape, structure and weight as the real probe will have, but doesn’t include all components like the actual scientific instruments (replaced by mass-representative units) and outer coatings.   

The machine that the Probe B2’s SQM rests on is a vibration table that shakes the model. The machine starts slow but increases the shaking frequency until the vibrations are too fast to see with your bare eyes. Sensors on the probe keep track of how it responds to this shaking stress-test. 

Probe B2’s SQM passed all mechanical tests with flying colours, meaning that no design changes will be needed. The probe SQM will be used again to test the attachment and separation mechanism between the main spacecraft and the probe.  

Comet Interceptor will be the first mission to get an up-close look at a pristine comet that flies close to the Sun for the first time, carrying material untouched since the dawn of the Solar System. By comparison, all previous comet missions have targeted short-period comets whose orbits bring them close to the Sun at most every 200 years.  

The Probe B2 SQM was built and tested by Sener (Spain). Sener is also providing the intersatellite link antenna and the separation system for the probe, some electronics for the instruments on board, and mechanical ground support equipment (MSGE) used to support and manipulate the main spacecraft.