The IABG Space Test Centre Open Day was highly successful

The Space Test Centre was open on Sunday 8 September 2002 to the public and almost 1 000 visitors took the rare opportunity to learn about the facilities and test which are not only impressive for high-tech fans.

The IABG staff demonstrated their tasks as part of one-hour guided tours, explained technical details on tests and facilities and answered the numerous questions of the visitors. These enthused about the fascinating technology. But the philosophy of spaceflight was also discussed. 'Waste of taxpayers' money or a real benefit for mankind?' This question was of course raised against the background of billions of Euro invested by the Federal Government in spaceflight.

ABG has been operating the Space Test Centre, one of three test centres coordinated IABG - Space Test Centre - Ariane 5by the European Space Agency (ESA) for European space activities, since 1968. It offers its customers the full range of services for the qualification of space systems. In the course of its activities, IABG has tested over 120 satellites and carriers. Included among these are many European scientific satellites such as the Cluster I and II satellites for research into solar winds and the Earth's magnetic field and the SKYNET/NATO satellites.

In the past year, the 'Rosetta-Lander' satellite project was tested in the space simulation facility. Rosetta will be used to explore the comet 'Wirtanen' over 800 million kilometres away and it should be launched in 2003. Various physical experiments should then provide information on the creation of the universe.

The company has successfully demonstrated its specific competence with the testing and qualification of the major structures of the Ariane 2-4 launcher rockets and the new Ariane 5. The upper stage of the Ariane 5 could be seen during the guided tour of the Space Test Centre.

IABG has all the necessary resources with the only vibration facility in Europe for large IABG - Space Test Centre - MFSAstructures, a new acoustics laboratory for the simulation of the high acoustic loads caused at the rocket launch and a correspondingly large hall for large-scale tests. As in this way expensive transports between different European test institutes are superfluous, the company contributes significantly to the saving of costs in international projects.

A further unit to be visited during the guided tour was the electro-magnetic compatibility laboratory. Here the visitors had the opportune to convince themselves which malfunctions can be caused by electro-magnetic fields, for example, by mobile telephones.

All the visitors also had the opportunity to obtain information on the existing space simulation facilities and the varying test methods. Here also the control room could be visited from where all the facilities are monitored and controlled.

A special treat was offered to the visitors by IABG with the opening of the unique magnetic field simulation facility. With this facility, IABG is capable of simulating the Earth's magnetic field in all positions or of completely blocking it out. Despite the conversion work currently being carried out there, a shuttle bus service was set up to the test facility. An IABG expert introduced the visitors to the site to the world of geomagnetic fields.

IABG also took care of its young visitors. Whilst their parents were being fascinated by technology, the young visitors were either making things or painting tattoos. Others put 'pen' to paper and drew their ideas on spaceflight.

A selection of the pictures can be found under press/downloads.