The final test for the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission, which is aimed at probing the “dark side” of the universe, namely dark matter and dark energy, has been completed successfully.
The space telescope will produce the largest and most accurate 3D map of the Universe ever created, observing the shapes and movements of billions of galaxies over 10 billion years of cosmic time and more than a third of the sky.
Euclid will use this data to reveal how the Universe has expanded and how structures have formed throughout cosmic history, revealing more about the role of gravity as well as the nature of dark energy and dark matter.
The two-tonne spacecraft is 4.7 metres tall and 3.5 metres wide and was built and operated entirely by ESA, with contributions from NASA.
It is currently being tested at Thales Alenia Space’s test facilities in Cannes, France, and has passed electromagnetic compatibility testing.
The test is designed to rule out electromagnetic waves that could interfere with other devices, which could have disastrous consequences in space.
The Compact Antenna Test Range, a large test chamber at TAS, simulates the electromagnetic environment of deep space by being lined with cones that absorb radio signals and prevent reflections.
To prevent TV or radio interference, the chamber’s walls form a steel Faraday cage that is impenetrable to electromagnetic signals from the outside world.
In this radiation-free environment, the team examined radio signals and electrical noise from the spacecraft’s various systems to see if they caused any electromagnetic interference with one another.
Following a few final tests, it will travel to Cape Canaveral in the United States for a July launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The $1.5 billion mission will last until 2029.
