Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has concluded a system-level thermal vacuum test on a micro satellite it has co-developed with French space agency National Centre for Space Studies (CNES).

The test has verified the satellite, as well as its subsystems and interfaces’ ability to function under extreme temperatures.

Before the thermal vacuum test, IAI also conducted a satellite-level vibration and acoustic tests on the Vegetation and Environment Monitoring New Micro-Satellite (Venµs). They have demonstrated the micro-satellite's ability to cope with launch conditions.

IAI president and CEO Joseph Weiss said: “The completion of this testing is another step towards the upcoming launch that will enable hundreds of scientists around the world to explore and investigate the earth's natural resources.”

“The completion of this testing is another step towards the upcoming launch that will enable hundreds of scientists around the world to explore and investigate the earth's natural resources.”

To be launched later this year, Venµs will be lifted off using an Arianespace Vega launcher from Kourou, French Guiana.

Once launched, the 265kg satellite will undertake two missions, one scientific and one technological, and be positioned in a near polar sun-synchronous orbit at a 720km-altitude with a two-day revisit time.

Under the scientific mission, Venµs will monitor the Earth's vegetation using a camera with 12 narrow spectral bands, while the satellite’s technological mission will demonstrate the operation of an innovative electrical propulsion system based on the Israeli Hall Effect Thrusters.


Image:  Venµs satellite during tests. Photo: courtesy of Israel Aerospace Industries.