Jan 16 2021 Read 398 Times
The National Satellite Test Facility (NSTF), the first of its kind in the UK that will help more complex spacecraft get ready for launch, continues to take shape at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) Space site in Oxfordshire. More than 900 tonnes of steel framework and 3000mᶟ of concrete completed the main structure of the £105 million test centre last October. Construction partners Mace have since installed the suspension system for the vibration facility; this will test satellites and payloads up to 7000 kg to ensure that they can withstand the bumpy ride into space. Work is also being carried out on an Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) chamber – an area free from electromagnetic background noise, where spacecraft electronics can be checked and tested.