Testing in Thermal Vacuum Chambers

Component Integrity Testing

An orbiting spacecraft can experience temperature swings from blazing heat to frigid cold. These sudden, repeated heat variations can cause materials on the spacecraft to expand and contract unevenly. In theory, this could lead to fractures over time. Moving parts may also fail. Once launched, however, repairing a satellite becomes extremely challenging. Therefore, testing in realistic space conditions prior to launch is mandatory for all space hardware.

Vacuum technology is at the heart of this critical testing step. Once components, sub-systems or even full satellites or other spacecraft have been completed, they are placed in space simulation chambers or thermal vacuum chambers and tested for weeks or even months.

These chambers are cooled by our liquid nitrogen and helium gases to simulate the cold temperatures and vacuum of space. In this space-like vacuum, test engineers can assess how the components and systems respond to the extreme parameter changes that the spacecraft may encounter. Spacecraft that will explore a planetary surface such as Mars go through additional tests with temperatures and atmospheric pressures similar to those that prevail on the planet.

The entire James Webb Space Telescope, for example, was put in a vacuum chamber to be tested for the rigors of space. Our cryogens provide the consistent, reliable cooling power needed for accurate simulation of these extreme parameter changes. We operate supply centers strategically located close to many key launch and test centers. We are also one of the largest suppliers of helium in the world, with extensive experience in the design and operation of inerting systems and vacuum technology.