Checking all pipes and thrusters

While the reconditioning of the two flight batteries (charging/discharging cycles) carries on and is almost completed,

... another activity is running in parallel in the clean room: the verification of all pipes and thrusters.
For a better accessibility MSG-3 spacecraft has been put in horizontal position.The picture below enables to locate the various items to be tested: one LAM (Liquid Apogee Motor) on the right of spacecraft, two +X thrusters, in red at the bottom and one + Z thruster, in red on the left side.

First, a flow test will make sure that the commands are correctly allocated to thrusters and motors. In such a case, when a specific command (A) is activated, an operator put his ear against thruster (A) and listen that the flow is well running through it.
A second test  checks that all the satellite "plumbing"is air tight.
For that purpose, the piping work is pressurised at 22 bars absolute  (MEOP Maximum Expected Operating Pressure) and an Helium sniffer probe, positioned just behind the thruster to be tested, detects any possible leak.
The picture below shows the exact set up of this second test. Note the "black elephant feet" put on the external pipes on ground to prevent any moves in case of strong pressure variation. The Pressure Test Set (PTS) device is positioned just behind the operator in the front. In the left corner, sits the Quality Control (QC) who witnesses the complete test and confirms that it has been run as planned.

While the first operator (in white) is positioning the probe on the thruster, the other one (in green) performs the reading of the test measurement.

 

A closer view on the leak-tested thruster:

Finally, the test was completed with the LAM (Liquid Apogee Motors) testing which requires, as it can be seen below, a larger test interface.

The test was running today without showing any anomalies.