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6. Qualification Test
ASTRO-D received comprehensive testing at the Flight Environment Test Building of ISAS in Sagamihara from April 1992 until January 1993. Various tests were carried out repeatedly to check and verify ASTRO-D's performance and ensure the success of its mission; tests for shock, vibration, dynamic balance, thermal vacuum, etc. The tests performed in this period are shown in the table below.
| Events | Month Year |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Interface Check | April 1992 |
| Paddle Extension Test | May |
| Electric Test of Subsystems | |
| X-ray Telescope-EOB Alignment | June |
| First Dynamic Balance Test | July |
| EOB Extension Test | |
| Overall Function Test | |
| Shock Test | |
| Vibration Test | |
| Thermal Test | August |
| Satellite Baking | September |
| Power System Test | |
| Interface Check with Rocket | |
| Thermal Vacuum Test | October |
| Satellite Baking/Out-gas measurement | November |
| XRT/Sensor Alignment | |
| Second Dynamic Balance Test | December |
| Weight/ Center of Gravity Measurement | |
| Moment of Inertia Measurement | |
| Paddle Extension Test | January 1993 |
| Overall Function Test | |
| Satellite Transport to ISAS KSC |
Apart from these tests, the satellite was also baked twice at 60 in the ISAS space chamber. Since the reflecting efficiency of an X-ray mirror is very sensitive to contamination on the reflector surface, out-gassing in orbit must be reduced by prebaking the satellite body as long as possible. Although about three weeks were spent in total for satellite baking, the amount of out-gas did not sufficiently decrease below the target value. Heaters were therefore immediately attached to the surfaces housing the X-ray mirror in order for the temperature of the mirror to increase as high as the average temperature of the satellite even four months before the launch.
In January 1993 after completion of the long qualification test period, ASTRO-D was transferred to the Kagoshima Space Center (ISAS KSC) in Uchinoura and was mounted on the launching vehicle.