Development of Satellite Facilities
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To achieve the objective of indigenous satellite development, SUPARCO has embarked upon a plan to develop the necessary infrastructure for Satellite Assembly Integration and Test (AIT). In this regard the following facilities have been/are being established:
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Satellite Assembly Integration & Test (SAINT)
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The Assembly integration and testing of satellites is carried out in specialized cleanroom facilities. A ‘Satellite Assembly Integration and Test (SAINT) facility’ was commissioned at Satellite Research and Development Center, Lahore in 2007. The facility caters for the AIT requirements of small to medium sized satellites. It consists of a cleanroom of class 100,000 High Bay for satellite integration and functional testing and cleanroom of class 10,000 for assembly of satellite sub-systems. The Prototype Paksat-1R satellite was integrated and functionally tested in this facility.
Environmental Validation Testing (EVT) Facility
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For the qualification of any satellite before it can be launched, its performance needs to be tested and verified not only functionally but also from the environmental point of view as the satellite will have to undergo harsh environmental conditions in space both during the launch and operations in space. To meet this requirement an EVT facility was planned at SRDC-L which is currently under development. It would have facilities for vibration, thermal vacuum, shock, mass properties and pressure testing of small to medium sized satellites.
Compact Antenna Test Range (CATR) Facility
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The CATR facility is currently under development at SRDC-L. The objective of the facility is to test and validate key RF performance parameters (e.g. EIRP, G/T, coverage pattern/ foot prints, frequency and beam steering, etc) of satellites of various kinds and other complex radiating systems, with capability to handle frequencies from 1 to 40 GHz and antenna sizes of up to 3m in diameter.
SAINT Support Workshop (SSW) Facility
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The SSW facility has a workshop to facilitate in-house manufacturing/ fabrication of mechanical and microwave components warranting high precision and quality, which are required for supporting R&D activities relating to the design and development of prototype and engineering model satellites. The workshop would have various CNC and conventional machines. The facility is currently under construction.
Clean Room
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A class 10,000 clean room facility has been established for assembly, integration and testing (AIT) of imaging payloads for LEO Satellites. Inside this facility, a class 1,000 soft wall capsule for the assembly and testing of optical components has also been established. AIT of Prototype PRSS was performed in this facility.
Environmental Chamber
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An Environmental Protection Chamber was constructed to test various components, devices, sensors, modules and antennas of remote sensing satellites in open environment. The Chamber is made of composite material (fiber glass), aluminum and stainless steel to make this chamber durable in open to sky environment. The special function of this protection chamber is removable top roof controlled by a hydraulic system to make experiments on satellite in an open to sky environment. At the center of the chamber, elevation over azimuth position is available that can rotate and elevate satellite under experiment.