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| #10: BepiColombo Mercury Transfer Module Mass Properties Measurement |
| The mass properties of the BepiColombo Mercury Transfer Module Structural and Thermal Model have been measured. The transfer module's primary task is to provide solar-electric propulsion during the mission's journey to Mercury. |
| Date: 17 Dec 2012 |
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| #07: Gaia launcher separation test and Payload Module acceptance vibration tests completed |
| Testing of the separation of the Gaia Service Module from its Launch Vehicle Adapter has been completed, as have the acceptance vibration tests on the Payload Module. |
| Date: 29 Oct 2012 |
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| #06: Gaia Payload Module integration completed |
| Integration of the Flight Model of the Gaia Payload Module has been completed. It has undergone acceptance vibration testing; thermal balance and thermal vacuum testing will be carried out towards the end of this year. |
| Date: 17 Sep 2012 |
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| #05: Gaia Service Module Thermal Balance/Thermal Vacuum testing completed |
| The Protoflight Model of the Gaia Service Module has successfully completed thermal balance and thermal vacuum testing in the SIMLES chamber at Intespace Toulouse. These tests verify the thermal performance of the spacecraft module under space conditions. |
| Date: 10 Sep 2012 |
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| #09: BepiColombo Composite Spacecraft Separation Shock Testing |
| The BepiColombo Mercury Composite Spacecraft Structural and Thermal Model has undergone testing to demonstrate that it can withstand the shocks induced by the jettisoning of the launcher fairing and by the separation of the spacecraft stack from the launch vehicle adapter. |
| Date: 27 Aug 2012 |
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| #08: BepiColombo Composite Spacecraft Vibration Testing |
| The BepiColombo Structural and Thermal Model test campaign has passed another milestone with the completion of sine vibration testing at qualification level along all three spacecraft axes. |
| Date: 17 Aug 2012 |
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| #07: BepiColombo Composite Spacecraft Mass Properties Measurements |
| The mass properties of the BepiColombo Mercury Composite Spacecraft have been measured. This is the first time that the spacecraft structural and thermal model has been fully integrated, producing the configuration in which it will be launched and effect the transfer to Mercury. |
| Date: 10 Jul 2012 |
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| #04: Gaia Phased Array Antenna delivered and integrated |
| The phased array antenna that Gaia will use to send its science data to Earth has been delivered and integrated onto the Service Module. The antenna provides the high gain and data rate needed to allow large volumes of data to be transmitted over the 1.5 million kilometres that will separate the spacecraft's operational orbit from Earth. The use of electronic beam steering allows the signal to be directed towards Earth as the spacecraft rotates; a conventional, mechanically pointed antenna would cause microvibrations, seriously impacting the performance of the telescope. |
| Date: 06 Jul 2012 |
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| #06: BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter Mass Properties Measurements |
| The mass properties of the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter have been measured using specialist equipment in ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC). |
| Date: 20 Jun 2012 |
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| #05: BepiColombo Planetary Orbiter and Transfer Module mated for first time |
| The Structural and Thermal Models of the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Mercury Transfer Module were mated for the first time on 11 April 2012. The mating was performed to accurately position the inter-module hardware on the transfer module. |
| Date: 27 Apr 2012 |
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| #03: Gaia Basic Angle Monitor delivered for integration |
| The protoflight models of the two Basic Angle Monitor (BAM) Opto-Mechanical Assembly (OMA) bars have been delivered to the spacecraft Prime Contractor and are being prepared for integration into the Payload Module (PM). |
| Date: 11 Apr 2012 |
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