Space PFO for space launch

Launch vehicles, and their enclosed satellite payloads, experience significant degrees of mechanical and acoustic shock and vibration during their short journey into space. Nothing is currently known about the sources and types of particulate contamination inside a rocket fairing during launch; however, it is certain that contamination can seriously affect the performance, accuracy and reliability of the multi-million dollar instruments which are routinely sent into space to study our planet and explore the universe.

For the past few years XCAM have been leading a technology development programme, with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA), to manufacture a unique instrument (to ECSS standards) which will provide the first measurements of particulate contamination during launch inside a launch vehicle fairing. This Space PFO (Particle Fall Out) Monitor is targeted to be launched on a Vega-C launch vehicle around Q4 2024.

SpacePFO is still under development but contact us today if you are interested in finding out more.

View the SpacePFO poster here: