The external frame is for handling the model. There are many options for structural testing. Ours is the lowest level of testing to prove our design and meet the launch agency requirements, said Chris. But the minimum for all satellites is a structural vibration test and a thermal analysis. We re just taking the simplest, least expensive path, said Chris.
Structural testing involves a physical model of the satellite.
Some, depending on their complexity, will be full engineering models, which are real working equipment, but our time scale and budget doesn t allow that, said Chris. Our structural model is the physical metalwork forming the satellite, with dummy masses representing onboard equipment attached in the correct relationships. The centres of gravities of all the components are correctly oriented around the structure. So when all that comes together, it s representative from a mass and a mass location point of view. And that s quite complex, even in little satellites, to get right.