Space craft verification at the David Florida Laboratory
Abstract
The David Florida Laboratory offers facilities and staff to support the integration and environmental testing of space subsystems and complete spacecraft. These capabilities encompass thermal verification and dynamic testing (vibration and modal analysis), as well as radio frequency (antenna pattern, RFI/EMC) measurements. Clean rooms are provided for the integration of solar arrays, antennas and spacecraft, and a range of ancillary support services facilitates the measurement of materials and mass properties and outgassing. These facilities, recently deployed in support of the Olympus program, are currently being exercised for the Anik-E satellites. Upgradings driven by the Olympus program encompass the thermal and dynamic domains and include an accurate, high capacity temperature measurement system and an additional support structure permitting vibration testing of very large and dynamically responsive test articles. Anik-E placed additional demands on laboratory capabilities but these upgradings are expected to be overshadowed by the test technology developments which may be mandatory to satisfy the requirements of MSAT, Radarsat and Space Station programs. These improvements could include an extended antenna measurement capability, improved deployment suspensions for large lightweight structures, materials testing for long duration, low earth orbit exposure and static load testing. Furthermore, the current trends toward enhanced capabilities are finding applications in a number of related disciplines such as radar.
- Publication:
-
In its Proceedings of the Sixth CASI Conference on Astronautics 11 p (SEE N93-14920 04-12
- Pub Date:
- 1990
- Bibcode:
- 1990casi.proc.....M
- Keywords:
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- Dynamic Tests;
- Large Space Structures;
- Satellite Design;
- Space Vehicle Checkout Program;
- Structural Analysis;
- Test Facilities;
- Antenna Design;
- Canadian Space Program;
- Static Tests;
- Temperature Measurement;
- Ground Support Systems and Facilities (Space)