ESA's Plato Planet Hunter Passes Final Major Pre-Launch Test
The European Space Agency's exoplanet-hunting spacecraft Plato has cleared electromagnetic compatibility testing inside ESTEC's Maxwell Test Chamber.
AfroEuropa Newsroom
AfroEuropa desk
The European Space Agency has completed a series of key tests on its planet-hunting spacecraft Plato, confirming that the vehicle's electronic equipment is ready to operate in space.
The checks were carried out inside the Maxwell Test Chamber at ESTEC, ESA's technical centre. The facility is a shielded enclosure with conducting metal walls, floor and ceiling that together form a Faraday cage, blocking out external interference. Its interior, standing 9 metres high, is lined with foam spikes designed to absorb electrical signals and sounds, recreating conditions similar to the vacuum of space.
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