First vibration campaign for the PoliSpace Team and their 6S CubeSat

Following their selection to the FYS! Test Opportunities programme, the PoliSpace student organization of Politecnico di Milano successfully ran their vibration test campaign on the Structural thermal model, STM in short. The test campaign was held from 14 to 18 October 2024.

The purpose of this campaign was twofold:

• To allow the students to subject the Structural-Thermal Model of their CubeSat to mechanical loads and showcase possible weak points with respect to their CubeSat's design towards the subsequent qualification of their homemade structure for launch.
• To produce sufficient data for the team to correlate with the FEM analysis (model correlation).

This campaign marked a crucial milestone toward the team’s goal of finalising the design, providing a unique experience that strengthened their technical skills and deepened their passion for space engineering.

Four students from the 6S CubeSat project team embarked on a journey from Milan to the ESA-ESEC centre in Belgium, driven by their mission to conduct essential testing. The 6S Team’s goal is to push the boundaries of future space technologies through mission payloads while immersing students in the full lifecycle of a space project.

The test campaign took place at the CubeSat Support Facility in ESEC, Belgium. The primary aim of this campaign was to carry out a series of vibration tests on the Structure-Thermal Model—a model specifically designed to closely replicate the mechanical and thermal behaviour of the final version, though without the high expenses associated with a Flight Model. During the first few days, the team completed extensive preparations, including a fit check within the facility's test adapter, thorough inspections, and verification of mass and dimensions. This preliminary stage was crucial to ensure that the testing would be both safe and effective.

The CubeSat Support Facility's 20kN electrodynamic shaker was employed to conduct the vibration tests, allowing the team to observe how launch stresses impact the satellite. The test campaign offered the students invaluable insights into the characteristics of their hardware and their design methodologies. The knowledge and skills acquired throughout the week were invaluable.

Thanks to the Fly Your Satellite! - Test Opportunities programme, students from Politecnico di Milano gained extensive hands-on experience in conducting sophisticated test campaigns, including rigorous documentation practices and strict adherence to laboratory protocols. With these achievements, the test campaign can be considered a resounding success.

This week’s results underscore the harshness of the space environment and highlight the demand for skilled professionals in Europe’s space industry. By emphasizing both soft skills and practical experience, students are well-prepared to make meaningful contributions to space exploration as they embark on their engineering careers. Ultimately, this comprehensive experience paves the way for a bright future in the space sector.

Test opportunities are available not only to satellite teams and teams who have previously participated in Fly Your Satellite! opportunities (like 6S) but also to others, such as sounding rocket teams and experiment teams such as those participating in the ESA Academy Experiments programme.

To learn more about the programme, click here.