SBIRS Geo-5 Space Vehicle begins TVAC testing
Lockheed Martin has confirmed that the Space Based Infrared System satellite (SBIRS) Geo-5 began Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) testing on 16 April at its facility in Sunnyvale, California.
The SBIRS Geo-5 is part of a US Space Force programme that aims to enhance global missile warning capabilities for the US military.
TVAC testing involves creating environmental conditions replicating space such as alternating between hot and cold temperatures in a near vacuum. This process verifies that all components of the Geo-5 meet the necessary requirements and are fully functional.
Lt. Col. Ryan Laughton, SBIRS Geo-5/6 programme manager at US Space Force, said: ‘TVAC testing represents the culmination of hundreds of thousands of hours of work by both the government and Lockheed Martin Space ensuring that we are giving the war fighter a national asset.’
It is expected that SBIRS Geo-5 will be launched into orbit in 2021.
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