entX has achieved a significant milestone in our journey toward space qualification, completing payload vibration testing and a thermal vacuum cycle trial as part of the iLAuNCH Trailblazer Project. These critical steps are essential in validating our payload design and ensuring it can withstand the extreme conditions of space.

Validating design through rigorous testing

The recent test campaign marks the flight prototype qualification phase, meaning the very payload we’ve tested will be the same unit destined for launch in 2026. Through this process, our team is ensuring that the system meets stringent mechanical and environmental requirements for spaceflight.

• Vibration Testing: Conducted at APC Technology, this phase assessed the payload’s structural integrity under the intense vibrations and mechanical loads experienced during rocket launch.

• Thermal Vacuum Testing: Performed at the University of Adelaide’s EXTERRES Lab, this initial trial replicated the vacuum of space and the extreme temperature fluctuations, verifying the system’s resilience and thermal performance. Results from this test will inform longer design and qualification vacuum tests, such as a long cold soak to simulate the lunar night conditions, and the temperature cycle test required for flight qualification.

Collaborative Innovation

This achievement represents a major step forward for entX and our project collaborators, Infinity Avionics, responsible for electronics design, and Moonlode Pty Ltd, who led the multi-layer insulation (MLI) design. Together, the team continues to push the boundaries of Australian space technology through innovation, precision engineering, and collaboration.

Looking Ahead

With the first round of tests complete, entX and our partners are now advancing toward final flight readiness as part of the iLAuNCH Trailblazer’s mission to accelerate Australia’s sovereign space capability.

This milestone underscores entX’s growing role in developing next-generation payload systems and advancing nuclear-powered and thermal technologies for space and terrestrial applications.