ESA’s Young Professionals Satellite, YPSat, seen undergoing its initial thermal vacuum test in ESA’s Mechanical Systems Laboratory.

Sustained exposure to high-quality vacuum and temperature extremes mimic the conditions YPSat will experience in Earth orbit

YPSat is a project run in its entirety by ESA Young Professionals to give them direct early experience of designing, building and testing for space. Its goal is to capture all the key phases of Ariane 6's inaugural flight.

This ‘thermal vacuum’ testing was used to check the accuracy of the mathematical model of the payload’s thermal performance and verify its thermal control design – including the shiny multi-layer insulation it is wrapped in. The data from this initial test campaign will guide a follow-up thermal vacuum campaign planned for April.