In recent years, space development activities, including lunar and Mars exploration and the commercialization of satellite constellations, have been expanding rapidly. Consequently, ensuring the reliability of space-related equipment has become increasingly important, and so has the reliability testing conducted in the development phase.<\/p>\n
To evaluate the performance of spacecraft and satellite-mounted equipment on the ground, it is essential to conduct testing that accurately simulates the space environment. One of the most important evaluation methods is “thermal vacuum testing”, which creates both vacuum conditions and a range of temperatures, from cryogenic to high temperatures. This process is widely regarded as a critical evaluation step in the aerospace industry.<\/p>\n
A Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) is a specialized testing system designed to simulate space conditions. It maintains a high-vacuum atmosphere while providing a wide range of temperature control. The chamber is capable of achieving a high-vacuum environment of approximately 1 \u00d7 10\u207b\u2076 Torr (about 1.3 \u00d7 10\u207b\u2074 Pa) and can cycle temperatures from -180\u00b0C to +150\u00b0C. This capability enables the chamber to be used to evaluate the reliability of equipment intended for use in space.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.osakavacuum.co.jp\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/9afb2b289cf4c64f87a7cc10080f16c7.png\") <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | |
| Schematic Diagram of the Thermal Vacuum Chamber<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n We recently supplied our magnetic bearing turbo molecular pump with an integrated control unit, the TGkine1700M-B<\/a> (pumping speed: 1,650 L\/s), for use in a thermal vacuum chamber manufactured by Dynavac<\/a>, a U.S.-based vacuum equipment manufacturer. The vacuum pump was provided through our affiliated company, Osaka Vacuum U.S.A., Inc., and is currently part of the vacuum pumping system of the chamber, which is used for space environment testing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n |