Testing GraviTE for its journey to the ISS
AGH Space Systems team from the AGH University of Kraków has completed a vibration test campaign for its GraviTE experiment at ESA Academy's CubeSat Support Facility, gaining hands-on experience while assessing how the Engineering Model responds to mechanical loads representative of its journey to the International Space Station.
From 6 to 10 July 2026, the AGH GraviTE team worked with ESA Academy's Test Opportunities programme to test the Engineering Model of the Gravity-Free Tissue Engineering platform at the CubeSat Support Facility in ESEC-Galaxia, Belgium.
Conducted in a professional test environment, the campaign combined a demanding engineering objective with an important educational opportunity. The students prepared the hardware, followed formal procedures and reviews, operated supporting equipment, recorded data and managed observations alongside ESA test operators.
GraviTE is a 2U (20cm x 10cm x 10cm) Experiment Cube developed as a compact bioreactor for cell-culture applications aboard the ICE Cubes Facility on the International Space Station. The experiment is inherently interdisciplinary, combining biological research with mechanical, hydraulic, electronic and software engineering. Its architecture includes a sealed hydraulic circuit with pumps and valves, fluid reservoirs and culture chambers, together with dedicated ground-support equipment and telemetry tools. The close interaction between these elements makes the system highly complex, as a failure in one subsystem may affect the operation of the experiment as a whole. Consequently, comprehensive verification and testing are essential to demonstrate reliable operation, protect the biological samples and reduce the risks associated with conducting an experiment in the constrained and sensitive environment of the ISS.
Preparing hardware for launch-like conditions
During launch and transport, space hardware experiences high mechanical loads and intense vibration. Ground-based vibration testing reproduces these conditions with a shaker system, enabling engineering teams to assess structural behaviour and verify that mechanical interfaces, electronics and other sensitive components remain functional afterwards.
For GraviTE, the campaign used the Engineering Model - a representative non-flight test platform - in a launch-representative configuration. Its objectives were to assess structural behaviour, check the hydraulic system for leaks, verify that electronic elements could withstand the mechanical environment, confirm post-test functionality and exercise the team's assembly procedures under campaign conditions.
A three-axis vibration campaign
The experiment was tested in three axes. Each axis consisted of pre-test resonance searches, random-vibration exposure, visual inspection and post-test resonance searches. This sequence allowed the team to compare the structural response before and after each high-intensity test and to examine the condition of the experiment throughout the campaign.
Observations made during preparation and testing were recorded and addressed through the campaign's formal anomaly-management process. This included documenting hardware findings, evaluating changes in measured response and confirming the actions needed before the next configuration or test step.
Checking the experiment after vibration
After the vibration exposures, the team removed the experiment from the shaker, took measurements and carried out electrical and visual inspections. Connections between the different faces were verified, the external protective cell was opened for inspection and no leaks were observed.
The post-vibration functional test of the incubation procedure was successful, and no functional issues were identified.
A learning-by-testing milestone for GraviTE
Beyond the immediate technical objectives, the campaign demonstrated the educational value of ESA Academy test opportunities. Working against formal procedures, facility constraints and review allowed the students to connect classroom knowledge with the engineering discipline required to develop and verify space hardware.
The completed campaign gives the AGH Space Systems team a structured set of data and observations to support the next stage of design and verification work.
Through the Test Opportunities programme, university teams gain access to professional environmental-testing facilities and expert guidance, helping them translate academic knowledge into practical space-engineering experience. Such a campaign showcases the capabilities of the provided facilities that expand from CubeSats testing to experiments and rocket/stratospheric balloon payloads.