NASA’s TSIS-2 Mission Aces Vacuum, Vibration Testing
NASA Science ·
The bright white lights reflect off the metallic hardware of a satellite poised for inspection. Engineers outfitted with bunny suits traverse the clean room, past machinery and room-sized test chambers. In the middle of the clean room is the spacecraft for NASA’s upcoming sunlight-measuring mission, TSIS-2 (Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-2). This fall, the […] The post NASA’s TSIS-2 Mission Aces Vacuum, Vibration Testing appeared first on NASA Science .
The bright white lights reflect off the metallic hardware of a satellite poised for inspection. Engineers outfitted with bunny suits traverse the clean room, past machinery and room-sized test chambers.
In the middle of the clean room is the spacecraft for NASA’s upcoming sunlight-measuring mission, TSIS-2 (Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-2).
Installation of the TSIS-2 payload. Credit: General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems
This fall, the satellite took another big step toward launch by undergoing and passing a series of tests. The team at General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) in Centennial, Colorado, took TSIS-2 to below-freezing temperatures and vacuum-level pressures, and through the quakes similar to launch.
“Preparing the spacecraft for launch drew on nearly the full range of integration and test capabilities at our Centennial facility, including our clean room and environmental testing facilities,” said Dan Scheuer, director of engineering for the company’s remote sensing satellite directorate. He added that GA-EMS’ work also includes spacecraft design and manufacturing, payload integration and testing, and mission operations support.
Environmental testing, including thermal vacuum testing and vibration testing, help to ensure instruments can withstand the rigors of launch and the harsh conditions in space.
While operating in low Earth orbit, the satellite will experience a vacuum and temperatures well below freezing, which can impact the hardware and the instruments on the satellite. Testing through hot and cold conditions under vacuum confirms that the spacecraft and its instruments can perform as designed.
TSIS-2 vehicle installed for thermal vacuum testing. Credit: General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems
The TSIS-2 spacecraft passed the test with flying colors.
Just a few feet away from the vacuum chamber is the equipment used for mass properties testing. It measures the observatory’s mass, locates its center of gravity, and determines how its mass is distributed. A room over is the vibration testing equipment, which simulates the shaking and vibrations the spacecraft will experience during launch.
With these tests complete, TSIS-2 moves closer to being packed in a custom shipping container for transport to the launch site.
The spacecraft carries two instruments that measure solar irradiance, or the intensity of sunlight reaching the top of Earth’s atmosphere. The Total Irradiance Monitor measures the all the sunlight, while the Spectral Irradiance Monitor measures how that energy is distributed across different wavelengths of light. Together, their measurements help scientists better understand how changes in the Sun’s energy influence Earth.
The TSIS-2 mission will extend a continuous record of total solar irradiance measurements dating to 1978. It will provide insight into minute changes to the Sun’s energy output over time and will help improve climate predictions.
The opportunity to contribute to more than four decades of continuous scientific data is a privilege, Scheuer said. He added that developing and testing TSIS-2 is rewarding because the mission will help researchers better understand the Sun’s role in Earth’s climate.
NASA leads the mission, teaming up with GA-EMS and the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) for this upcoming mission. The LASP team developed the instruments and support on-orbit operations including processing the TSIS-2 scientific data. GA-EMS designed and manufactured the spacecraft and will operate the observatory through the Satellite Mission Observatory Center. The mission will launch from New Zealand in early 2027 aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket to continue the solar irradiance record for the science community.
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