18
Time for the final act: SCRAT is going to present at the PAC Symposium the paper with the final results.
The poster for the exhibition area is ready!
04
With the submission of the final report to ESA, the SCRAT team can consider is work completed!
Results will be presented at the upcoming symposium in Hyeres!
05
Preliminary report of the experiment results has been completed and will be submitted to ESA very soon.
We can say that 99 thrusts have been detected and measured by SCRAT during the ascent phase of the flight!
11
Getting ready for the shipment of the experiment to the space base of Kiruna, the team has finally time to upolad some of the most significant photos of the work done during the summer!
Check this out ;D
22
The team performed an important pneumatic test today… waiting for the elaboration of the results for the verdict!
07
The Team has carried out the first scheduled vacuum test!
The aim was the evaluation of the behavior of the micro-compressor at low pressure conditions. Every component of the experiment has to endure the hazardous environment of the stratosphere during the whole flight, which means an exposure to extremely low pressures (down to 5 mbar), similar to those present on Mars, and low temperatures (down to -90°C). For this reason some tests are mandatory before launching the S.C.R.A.T. into space…
The first one has been the vacuum test of the micro-compressor, responsible for pumping the ambient air used as a propellant into the two stages cold gas actuator “S.C.R.A.T”. The test setup consisted on a compressor connected through a system of pipes to a gas cylinder, equipped with an electro-valve)and connected to a fluximeter (to estimate the air flow), and a a pressure sensor; a temperature sensor checked the temperature of the pump during the operative cycle.
Using the vacuum chamber of the CISAS (our principal facility) we have checked the performances of the compressor starting from normal atmospheric conditions of 1 bar, then lowering the pressure down to 500 and 200 mbar, and passing through 100 and 80mbar we have reached an external pressure of 10 mbar.
Part of the electronic system involved in the vacuum test, is similar
The first test took several weeks of work for the entire Team but provided precious information about the performances of the compressor in a space-like environment, putting the basis for the upcoming tests and giving a great dose of fun!!
26
TeamSCRAT performed the first cold test down to 77 K!!
Frozen pipe, pumped and stressed up…
The results? Pipes approoved!
Our thanks go to the Astrophysical Observatory of Asiago for the support.
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