›Introduction to Thermal Vacuum Testing and Vacuum Science in the Aerospace Industry

Thermal vacuum testing is an essential component of spacecraft testing, helping to ensure launch survivability, improve satellite reliability, and establish a path to flight heritage. This course seeks to provide an in-depth understanding of the goals and requirements of thermal vacuum testing for satellites and satellite components, as well as establishing an educational foundation of the science and technology involved in conducting thermal vacuum testing. By making the underlying science approachable, this course will allow lab managers, engineers, technicians, and mission planners to better understand test requirements and determine the best methods to implement thermal vacuum testing.

The course will first provide an overview of typical satellite test requirements, and a comprehensive review of vacuum bake-out, thermal vacuum cycling, and thermal vacuum balance testing. This class will then provide a detailed framework of the vacuum science needed to understand thermal vacuum testing. Finally, a review of vacuum and analysis hardware will be presented with a goal of allowing course-takers to identify the test platform needed to achieve both specific program requirements and overall mission success.

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