To Last a Lifetime

The ESA Test Centre at ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, is a unique environment with state-of-the art facilities for testing all aspects of satellites and their payloads prior to launch into the harsh environment of space. It is operated by highly trained engineers, who work in close interaction with European industry. The Test Centre includes a 28-tonne Multishaker, the 25m-long Large Space Simulator, the Large European Acoustic Facility and the Compact Payload Test Bench, as well as clean rooms, work bays and sophisticated computer-assisted design and control systems. From the ultimate shaking of launch and the ultra-cold temperatures of deep space to the extremely hot and energetic radiation emitted by the Sun, the Centre can simulate all elements of a satellite's environment. The ESA Test Centre is operated by European Test Services (ETS) on behalf of ESA.