Overview

The deleterious effects to be anticipated during the thermal cycling test under vacuum include: outgassing; cracking or fracture of materials or assemblies due to sudden dimensional changes by expansion; contraction or pressure; short circuiting of electrical wiring; overheating of materials or assemblies due to change in convection and conductive heat transfer characteristics. This standard establishes the requirements for the specification, the procedures, the execution and the reporting of a thermal cycling test under vacuum for the evaluation of materials, processes, mechanical parts and assemblies intended for use in the fabrication of spacecraft and associated equipment. This is one of the tests to determine the ability of these articles to withstand changes of ambient temperature under vacuum. Typical materials or assemblies that can be evaluated by means of this test method are the following: adhesives; adhesive bonded joints; coatings (paint, thermal and protective); insulating materials; metallic bonded joints; metallic samples, finished by (mechanical) plating or chemical conversion; metallized plastic films; organic or nonorganic bonding; (mechanically) plated surfaces; potting compounds; reinforced structural laminates; sealants. This is not an exhaustive list of possible materials and assemblies and other products or items can also be tested. This standard may be tailored for the specific characteristic and constrains of a space project in conformance with ECSS-S-ST-00.

Document: references other documents

Responsible national committee

NA 131-06-01 AA - Space  

Responsible european committee

CEN/CLC/JTC 5 - Space