Industry Related News: United States – July 2022:
NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) JPSS-2 (Joint Polar Satellite System) recently went through the organization’s thermal vacuum chamber, passing an incredibly important milestone in testing and development. This craft has been designed to provide information intended to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts, analyzing extreme atmospheric conditions to provide us with a better understanding of weather as well as climate change. The goal is to launch the craft in late 2022, and the team is currently aiming for a November 1st launch.
The satellite needs to be able to maintain its temperature once it leaves the planet, needing to survive both the extreme highs and lows found within space. Additionally, it needs to be able to perform its tasks during these transition periods. Ideally, the satellite will operate as intended at both of these extremes as well as in between. The thermal vacuum chamber allows scientists to verify this with ease, and is a vital step in testing for all types of crafts.
Once the satellite entered the thermal testing chamber, one brief error was discovered. This was a result of a movement between testing equipment and the instrument, but modifications were able to quickly resolve this. The craft encountered no further issues, and testing was completed on June 4th. The team stressed that this was the most important aspect of testing, and the most significant test the craft will go through before launch. The testing process also required the most resources, with hundreds of people working on this test alone.
The testing period lasted just over three months, as investigation and repairs delayed the anticipated conclusion by about a month. Luckily, the team has been able to quickly acclimate to this schedule and continue forward without issue.
During this summer the satellite will be moved to a shipping container. Said container has a controlled climate, as well as properly controlled humidity, allowing for a streamlined transportation process. It will be shipped to its eventual launch site in California, where it will undergo additional testing. Once it enters orbit, it will scan the globe and observe things like temperature, moisture, hurricanes, floods, drought, and much more. Scientists at NOAA cannot wait to see what information the craft provides, and how it will impact our understanding of weather and climate change.
NESDIS, “NOAA’s JPSS-2 Satellite Completes Critical Testing Milestone“, Accessed 28 June 2022.
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Khoury Industries is a worldwide leader in temperature testing equipment for device characterization, thermal cycling equipment, and failure analysis. Khoury Industries designs and manufactures custom thermal testing chambers and microwave thermal testing fixtures used in a variety of industries including: military, space, automotive, medical, research, and communication fields. The Khoury Box and the patented ELI-1000 have quickly become industry favorites as thermal testing devices used to ensure the reliability of industrial and electronic products through prolonged exposure to extreme conditions.
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