Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC)
Services
This infrastructure, unique in Catalonia, will offer competitive prices for academic and industrial entities, promoting the validation of space technologies. The TVAC is positioned as a strategic resource to accelerate the development and testing of space missions, reducing technical risks and unnecessary travel.
Equipment
Its useful volume, 1.5 m long and 1.3 m in diameter, supports satellites weighing up to 100 kg. The system reaches a residual vacuum of 10⁻⁶ mbar in less than five hours thanks to a mechanical vacuum pump and two turbomolecular pumps, extracting gases. Two thermal circuits (shroud and thermal plate) allow the article to be exposed to temperature cycles from −80°C to +100°C, replicating fluctuations during eclipses and solar exposure. The TVAC also features a cold plate that can trap suspended particles, as well as two integrated contamination analysis systems that ensure the cleanliness of the TVAC’s interior in accordance with NASA and ESA standards.
