Following the electromagnetic compatibility tests (see Integration at Shanghai: second half of May), integration and testing of the SVOM satellite continued: the solar panels were assembled and new tests were carried out. The aim is to confirm that the satellite’s flight model is ready for launch.

This summer, the satellite underwent vibration, shock and even acoustic tests! These different tests reproduce what the satellite will have to withstand during the launch phase and when the solar panels will be deployed. In September, the satellite was prepared for the thermal vacuum test: installation of temperature probes, installation of heating elements, removal of covers protecting the instruments and radiators, etc. For this test, the satellite is placed for several weeks in an enormous tank that reproduces the temperature conditions of space. In the tank, the instruments are switched on, in a kind of dress rehearsal for what will happen once in orbit.

All these tests were carried out at the IAM CAS facilities in Shanghai between June and October 2023, in collaboration with CNES teams.

The French team on site discovered M50, a contemporary art district in Shanghai.