NAL sets up acoustic test facility for ISRO satellites
By siliconindia   |   Wednesday, 13 April 2011, 15:36 IST
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Bangalore: A state-of-the-art acoustic test facility for satellites has been set up by National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) campus. The test facility is located in the space agency's satellite integration and test establishment campus. The nitrogen-based acoustic test facility consists of a reverberation chamber for conducting the tests before a satellite is integrated with the rocket for launch into polar or geo-synchronous orbits from its spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, about 80 km northeast of Chennai. A NAL statement said, "The hi-tech facility will be used to perform qualification and acceptance tests of satellites built by the the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for communications and remote sensing applications." The acoustic field, created during the launch and trans-atmospheric flight of the satellites which are launched by powerful rockets with very high velocity, can damage their structure. Once the spacecraft crosses the atmospheric layer, the satellites do not again experience such noise fields during their lifespan. "It is essential to test all payload packages prior to the launch for mechanical effects under simulated conditions on the ground. The acoustic tests are designed to induce dynamic responses in the test specimen similar to those experienced in flight to qualify them under flight conditions to ensure trouble-free operation," NAL director A.R. Upadhya said. The facility can also test the acoustic shielding efficiency of heat shields that are built around the satellite to protect from atmospheric hazards.

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