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Chinese and French scientists recently conducted acoustic and vibration tests on the Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) satellite in Shanghai. The tests took place from August 11 to 16 and all the results met the technical requirements.

The SVOM satellite is a collaborative project between China and France and is designed to detect gamma ray bursts, distant space phenomena. It is the first satellite of its kind developed by the two countries.

The satellite will be equipped with four scientific payloads, two from China and two from France. China’s contributions include the Visible Telescope and the Gamma Ray Burst Monitor, while France will provide the ECLAIRs telescope and the Microchannel X-ray telescope.

The SVOM satellite was approved for development in 2006 by the China National Space Administration and the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), the French space agency. The Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is responsible for the satellite system.

Acoustic testing is a crucial step in assessing a satellite’s resistance to the high acoustic environment generated during launch. According to Karine Mercier, the French payload manager from CNES, the acoustic noise excitations can impact sensitive parts such as optics, covers, radiators, and solar arrays. Despite the stress of leaving the satellite in the acoustic chamber during testing, Mercier expressed confidence in the calculations and tests performed on each satellite element.

The successful outcome of the acoustic and vibration tests brings the SVOM satellite closer to its eventual launch. This collaboration between China and France represents a significant achievement in space exploration and the study of gamma ray bursts.

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