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Anyone witnessing a rocket launch will be struck by the noise levels, even when observing from several kilometres away. A satellite on top of its launcher is exposed to much higher levels, of course. So testing is essential to ensure that the satellite structure can withstand such a sustained loud sound.
This first Galileo Full Operational Capability (FOC) satellite, successor to the four Galileo navigation satellites already in orbit, underwent acoustic testing in July, part of a full-scale test campaign taking place at ESA’s ESTEC Test Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
