Space

Space

The number of space structures launched into orbit is increasing rapidly, as satellites are more and more used for communication, navigation, earth monitoring and exploring other planets. During launch, these space structures are exposed to tremendous acoustic loads as induced by the launching vehicle taking off after ignition.

In order to ensure the proper functioning of the satellites and the solar panels powering them, extensive testing takes place in reverberant high intensity acoustic chambers and shaker facilities before launch. An ESA-ESTEC paper from 2003 confirms that the acoustic load during launch is one of the dimensioning cases of spacecraft structures and their payload components, especially for large antenna reflectors and solar panels. ( click to read full article ) Hence the improvement of vibro acoustic testing capabilities is crucial to the space industry.

The actual outdoor launch itself is known to be a low frequency problem but with many unknown aspects still. Quite some efforts are spent to understand where the noise sources occur in the jet plume of the exhaust during static firing testing.

For the extremely high noise levels that lie in the non linear range of acoustics, Microflown Technologies is offering special sensors that can be used for a variety of breakthrough testing methods to be applied both indoor and outdoor.

For indoor testing methods are offered for both shaker facilities and large non anechoic reverberant rooms.

Indoor testing applications include:

For outdoor rocket launches, testing methods are offered for both static firing testing and the monitoring of the actual full scale launch.

Applications include:

 

Publications