Disaster spy satellite passes thermal tests

摘要

A satellite that takes photos of disasters to help rescue and relief operations has passed stringent thermal vacuum tests at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The tests simulate the extreme temperature and vacuum in which the satellite will operate in-orbit 686km above the Earth. The satellite was placed inside the 3m diameter chamber with the electronics wired up before the doors were closed and the tank evacuated of air. During the thermal cycling the satellite was subjected to hot and cold temperatures between 50℃ and -20℃ and Surrey Satellite Technology's (SSTL) engineers carried out functional tests to ensure that it will operate effectively in space.