Testing

When it comes to the testing of our satellite there are four stages to it. Some far more elaborate than others. Through these four stages, every part of the functionality of the satellite is tested, both individually and in tandem with the other modules. This such that when the satellite is launched, we have mitigated every risk, and guaranteed the success of the mission to the furthest extent possible.

The first stage is the functionality testing, this is purely verifying the basic functionalities of every module. With these tests, one can think of testing whether a battery can hold the energy that is described in the ICD. This process is rather simple and occurs throughout at the delivery or completion of any form of hardware or software.

The second stage of testing is the flatbed testing stage. In this stage all functioning of each module is verified, meaning that every edge of performance of every single part has to be checked individually. It has to be confirmed that given our own written software, every part can perform every task exactly as our system engineers want it to perform. This is the longest testing stage, as one can imagine, verifying this for every single part takes a significant amount of time. This process for us starts in Feb/March of 2021, and will continue for about 4 months. For us, these tests will be conducted at the TU Delft, both in our own office and at other facilities provided.

The third stage of testing would be the integrated tests. These tests are to verify the cumulative performance of the satellite. Every combined functionality of the satellite, thus every aspect of every mode of operation, has to be tested. Such that when completed, we are confident that the satellite is able to autonomously perform every function envisioned. This process of testing would take a little under a month, and will be conducted subsequent to the second stage of testing, with only a short period necessary for the integration of the satellite in between. These tests will once again be conducted at the TU Delft, at facilities provided to us there.

The fourth, and final stage of our testing process is integrated environmental testing. These tests are verifying the functionality of the satellite under specific circumstances the satellite would encounter. The environmental tests that are conducted by us are the following. We conducted vibrational testing and thermovacuum testing at the NLR facility in Flevoland here in the Netherlands. Additionally, we conduct zero-g testing of the satellite, it is yet to be confirmed whether we are going to conduct the zero-g tests with the TU Delft, or possibly with a different partner.

Through these four stages of testing we are confident that we can without a doubt, confirm the functionality of the satellite and guarantee a successful launch into orbit.