Gaia sunshield deployment test successful [NOT TRANSLATED]

2013-10-21 00:00:00

Ahead of its launch on 20 November 2013, Gaia has passed its critical sunshield deployment test. The sunshield has been fabricated by the Spanish company SENER. During the test at Europe’s spaceport in Kourou the shield’s twelve carbon fibre folding frames were opened successfully in the cleanroom. As the Deployable Sunshield Assembly (DSA) was not designed to support its own weight in the one-g environment at Earth’s surface, support cables and counterweights attached to the shield provided a realistic test environment. In space the 10.5 metre diameter sunshield will shade the spacecraft’s telescope from the sun. It will also help to provide a stable and low temperature environment.

Video: [Download] [NOT TRANSLATED]