Off to Vibration Testing

AUTHOR: JOSH FERNANDES

After a final push to finish assembly, ORCASat is off for vibration testing at the National Research Council (NRC) in Ottawa! This is the first time the flight version of ORCASat has been fully assembled. After months of meticulous planning, mock assemblies, and tests, the spacecraft as a whole is ready to tackle this important challenge.

Arriving May 2nd at NRC, ORCASat will be strapped to a shaker table which will expose the spacecraft to a vibration profile very similar to that of a rocket launch in order to ensure ORCASat will survive its journey to the International Space Station (ISS) without damaging itself or the launch vehicle. This is a pivotal moment for the ORCASat project, as passing a vibration test is the key requirement by the launch provider, NanoRacks, for integration and orbit insertion from the ISS.