| AVS 66th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Vacuum Technology Division | Monday Sessions |
| Session VT-MoA |
| Session: | Gas Dynamics, Surface Science for Accelerators, and Ultra-Clean Vacuum Systems |
| Presenter: | Freek Molkenboer, TNO, The Netherlands |
| Authors: | F.T. Molkenboer, TNO, The Netherlands R. Jansen, TNO, The Netherlands F.P.G. Driessen, TNO, The Netherlands T.S. Luijkx, TNO, The Netherlands |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
In 2018 TNO started with the conceptual design of a new Space calibration facility, called CSI. The CSI will be used for the performance verification and calibration of optical earth observation instruments on satellites. At the end of 2018, Angelantoni Test Technologies (ATT) from Italy was awarded a contract after completion of the European tendering procedure as the supplier of the Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVC) and in January 2019 Symétrie, located in France was awarded a contract after completion of the European tendering procedure as the supplier for the hexapod on a rotation table that will be placed inside the vacuum chamber.
The TVC will be a vertically placed stainless steel cylinder with a diameter of 2.75 meter and a height of 2.5 meter. The chamber and thermal shrouds are sliced diagonally, resulting in a wedge shaped bottom half and top half, this reduces the total height (room and top half of the chamber) required for opening the chamber and loading a space instrument.
The thermal shroud of the TVC will be able to create an environment between 193K and 353K. Two thermal plates will be present to cool part(s) of the instrument down to 100K if required. The vacuum system consists of two turbomolecular pumps and two cryopumps to reach the ultimate pressure of 10e-7 mbar. The vacuum conditions in the TVC will be monitored with an RGA (Residual Gas Analyser) and a QCM (Quarts Cristal Microbalance).
During the calibration of a Space instrument, its position relative to the calibration light sources (Optical Ground Support Equipment or OGSE) has to be changed with an extremely high accuracy and reproducibility. To achieve this, TNO has selected a vacuum compatible hexapod on a rotation table that meets the stringent accuracy and stability requirements. Additionally TNO has designed an active thermal system around the hexapod in order to locally create a thermal stable environment.
During this talk I will discuss the design and current manufacturing status of both the thermal vacuum chamber, including the vacuum lay-out and thermal lay-out, and the design of the hexapod on rotation table including the protective measures we have taken to keep the hexapod at stable temperature.