Small Satellites - New Space | Alter Technology Group

ALTER test laboratories devoted to Small Satellites have received the statement for compliance

The statement of compliance is acording the requirements of ECSS-Q-ST-20-07C as tailored from ESA-TECQQ-TN-024614 issued by the European Space Agency (ESA) ECSS-Q-ST-20-07 standard sets the quality and safety requirements for space test centres.
ALTER has adapted its test facilities to the demands of New Space to provide the test activities required to put a small satellite into orbit: thermal vacuum test facility, clean area, vibration, shock test facility, and electromagnetic compatibility laboratory.
Small sats testing improves time to market at a lower cost, contributing to the manufacturing process’s profitability and ensuring the spacecraft’s reliability, securing the mission’s success.

SMALL SATS TESTING

With the commercialization of the space sector, known as NewSpace, and thanks to the expansion of new products called small Satellites, Alter Technology, once again at the forefront of new technologies, offers a comprehensive one-stop service covering all quality assurance tests applicable to small Satellites:

Proper component selection
Performance, environmental & reliability tests
Custom solutions for miniaturization and de-risking
Full in house capabilities for small satellites validation

To create an ADDED VALUE IN small Satellites, we have two defined phases that require a series of specific tests.

Design

Part Selection
Parts Procurement
COTS assesment
Reliability and Feasibility, Risk Mitigation
Custom Designs
Packaging

Assembly , Integration & Testing

Handling and storage
Test bench design
Functional and realiability testing
Qualification & Acceptance Flow

Design

PARTS ENGINEERING

We offer the only tool of HI-REL Parts for Space, doEEEt.com, where the selection of components and all their information is located on the same platform.

What can we find in doEEEt?

Parts selection based on:

New technologies
Mass production
Low cost
Higher performance
Low (no) heritage

Parts approach requiring technical analysis

Radiation levels, dominant effects, ….
Working temperature conditions: ranges and cycles
Demanded technologies to achieve mission challenges,
Identification of equipment – component criticality within the satellite
Mission acceptance risk at different levels
Component volumes, constellation size, recurrence,
Time frame
Cost
Traceability

PACKAGING DESIGN

As a group, Alter Technology makes available to our customers a specialized packaging engineering in co-work in Optocap.

Optocap provides contact package design and precision assembly services for a wide range of optoelectronic, microelectronic and MEMS devices. We offer end to end backend semiconductor manufacturing from wafer singulation to assembled product.

For further information about Optocap services, click here

COMPONENTS TESTING

Parts Inspection

Destructive physical analysis (DPA) & Constructional analysis
Electrical, RF & Optical measurements
Particle impact noise detection (PIND)
Optical microscopy, high magnification
Scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM)
X-ray inspection (static and dynamic)
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
Microanalysis of disperse X-ray energy (EDAX)
Seal test

Environmental Tests

Mechanical testing
Humidity testing
Thermal cycling, Thermal Vacuum and Thermal shock
EMC testing on integrated circuits

Reliability

PROCUREMENT

Risk analysis and management
Suppliers selection
Manufacturer liaison
Cost and schedule estimation
Parts procurement and purchasing
Dice procurement
Export license management
Sources inspections (PreCAP, CSI),
Follow-up
Recovery planning
Easy access to information thought an interactive web system

Assembly, Integration & Testing

ASSEMBLY

Packing & Shipping
Modules Inspection and reparation
Modules integration
Storage

The area of 50m2 is distribute in 3 rooms certified ISO 7, having each one of them an internal laminar flow chamber ISO 5 certified. All areas are ESD safe, with temperature and humidity control.

FUNCTIONAL TESTS

Combined strain and extreme temperature

Combined radiation and cold temperature

Test as fly approach
Test bench development
Combined environmental & reliability tests
On line monitoring.

BASELINE TEST FLOW USING ATN IN-HOUSE CAPABILITIES

Clean room conditions guaranteed during test flow

QUALIFICATION TESTS

Thermal Vacuum & Bake-Out Tests

Temperature range: -150ºC to +200ºC
Vacuum: <10e-6mbar
Internal volume: 70cm3 with hot plate of 50cm2
Wide variety of electrical, optical, RF, High power, linear and rotary motion vacuum feed-throughs
Quartz Crystal Microbalances for molecular contamination and outgassing measurements during bake-out tests