Large Space Simulator
General Description
The ESTEC Large Space Simulator is the largest test facility in Europe recreating space environment inclusive of sun and motion simulation.
The specific design and excellent performance assure that a wide variety of tests can be performed:
- Thermal Balance testing (with sun simulation),
- Infrared radiation,
- Vacuum temperature cycling,
- Deployment testing,
- Videogrammetry measurements,
- Dynamic balancing.
The Large Space Simulator consists of two vacuum chambers: in the main chamber the test item is installed on the motion system.
A variety of portholes allow the connection of lines to/from the spacecraft.
The auxiliary chamber provides the accommodation for the collimation mirror of the sun simulator.
+BepiColombo in ESTEC's LSS
+BepiColombo's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter in the Large Space Simulator