Outer Space Simulation Test Chambers

1. Satellite & Spacecraft System Validatio

Thermal-Vacuum Survival Testing (TVAC):

Subjects components to 10^-6–10^-8 torr vacuum and -180°C to +150°C thermal cycles (e.g., testing SpaceX Starlink antennas for deformation).

Multi-Stressor Endurance:

Combines UV/VUV radiation (120–400nm), AO flux (10¹⁵–10¹⁶ atoms/cm²/s), and charged particle bombardment to simulate 10+ years of LEO/GEO degradation in weeks.

 2. Thermal Control System Performance

Radiator Coating Efficiency:

Tests emissivity (ε) and solar absorptance (α) stability of thermal paints under 15 Suns equivalent IR/VUV exposure (e.g., preventing α degradation on JWST sunshield).

Phase Change Materials (PCMs):

Validates thermal storage units for lunar habitats under 28-day day/night cycles (-130°C to +120°C).

3. Radiation-Hardened Electronics

Single-Event Effects (SEE) Testing:

Uses proton/electron guns (1–200 MeV) to simulate cosmic rays, screening FPGA/memory upsets for Europa Clipper mission processors.

Total Ionizing Dose (TID):

Accumulates 100 krad–1 Mrad doses to qualify Mars rover electronics (e.g., Perseverance’s compute modules).

4. Extraterrestrial Environment Studies

5. Advanced Material DevelopmentSelf-Healing Polymers:

Exposes materials to AO/VUV to trigger autonomous repair mechanisms (e.g., ESA’s HPM polymer for inflatable habitats).

Radiation-Shielding Composites:

Tests boron nitride nanotube (BNNT)-epoxy laminates under neutron/gamma ray bombardment.

6. Propulsion & Life Support SystemsCryogenic Fuel Management:

Simulates zero-g sloshing with LN₂/LOX in UHV to optimize Falcon Heavy tank baffles.

CO₂ Scrubber Reliability:

Cycles ISS-grade scrubbers between -40°C and +50°C with 0.5–4% CO₂ partial pressure.

Technical Capabilities of Modern OSSTCs

Standards & Certification

OSSTCs align with:

ECSS-E-ST-10-03C (European space components)

NASA-STD-6012 (material flammability)

MIL-STD-1540E (spacecraft hardware testing)

Failure Prevention Case Studies

Sunshield:

1,000+ hours of multi-axis tension testing under simultaneous UV/cryo vacuum prevented micro-tearing.

Starlink Laser Links:

AO/VUV exposure revealed organic haze on optics, leading to sealed purged enclosures.

Emerging Applications

Quantum Satellite Payloads:

Tests qubit coherence in entangled photon systems under GEO radiation doses.

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion:

Validates coated fuel rods (e.g., NASA’s NTP program) under 2,500°C hydrogen flows.

Space Manufacturing:

Simulates microgravity crystal growth (protein/pharmaceuticals) via magnetic levitation.

Conclusion: 

Outer Space Simulation Test Chambers are the ultimate "space environment accelerators" – compressing years of orbital degradation into controlled ground tests. They bridge the gap between lab prototypes and flight readiness, preventing catastrophic failures in missions from CubeSats to interplanetary probes.

Testing aerospace equipment before the first flight into space is a requirement in order to be able to predict the behaviour of these valuable components. They are tested by simulating space conditions. The GRANDETOP® Thermal Vacuum Chamber accurately reproduce space conditions and make it possible to conduct such a test in a completely controlled environment.Our high-performance pump systems can reach a vacuum of up to 10^﹣9 mbar and 10^﹣7Pa. Liquid nitrogen, which circulates in the temperature vacuum cabinet produces temperatures from -270°C to +3000°C. Features, such as infrared radiation or a spacial temperature gradient, can be simulated according to the customer’s requirements.

Vacuum Limit (Reference): 3kPa, 1kPa, 10Pa, 133Pa，0.000001Pa，-0.1MPa，0.001mmHg，0.05Torr, 1mtorr, 1*10^-5Pa，≦1*10^-6Pa，1*10^-7Pa,1*10^-9Torr,1*10^-9mbar 

Temperature Range (Reference): -259℃, -230℃, -190℃, -160℃, -150℃, -120℃, -100℃, -80℃, -70℃, -60℃, -40℃，-20℃, 0℃~+150℃, 200℃, 250℃, 300℃, 400℃, 500℃, 600℃, 700℃, 800℃, 900℃, 1000℃, 1200℃, 1400℃,1600℃, 1800℃, 2000℃, 2500℃, 3000℃ 

Technical Parameters: