Franco Ongaro, European Space Reseach and Technologi Center director (ESTEC) of the European Space Agency (ESA), has visited this thursday the laboratories that Val Space Consortium (VSC) laboratories and the ESA manage in Valencia: High Power Space Materials Laboratory, located in the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria de la Universitat de València, and the High Power RF Space Laboratory of ESA, placed in Polytechnical Innovation City, scientist park in Universitat Politècnica de València.
«We can only be satisfied. Since its lauching until now, in VSC-ESA laboratories, located in UPV and UV more than 28,000 testing hours have been completed. Undoubtely, they are laboratories international benchmark, uniques all around the world, with excellent staff qualified to answer challenges of space industry» emphasized Franco Ongaro.
Laboratory in UV
In June 2012, VSC and ESA decided open an second laboratory in The School of Engineering (ETSE), located in Burjassot-Paterna Universitat de València campus, which is dedicated just to the study and material characterization.
«Materials are very important to space, equipments have to work properly in adverse conditions between 10 and 15 years, and they can not be repaired», explains the new laboratory co-director, Benito Gimeno, who is full university professor of UV and vice-president of VSC Executive Committee. An error in a component of a satellite can mean its loss. The objective of this center it to investigate and test materials with which RF equipments are constructed, a supplementary support to the UPV laboratory.
The laboratories are opened to all the kind of aerospace sector companies, as well as to goverments and investigation organizations. It is a non-profit activity, so incomes cover functioning expenses. «Val Space Consortium is functioning in a optimal way. Profits generated are reinvested to update and improve installations,as well as to develop investigation activities and to the development of cutting edge technology», underline the general manager of VSC, David Argilés.
Last update: 5 de february de 2016 08:09.
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