MISSION READINESS
Assembly, Integration & Testing
Assembly, Integration & Testing is where mission hardware moves from concept into readiness. Orbitworks brings these stages together through a more structured environment for spacecraft preparation, payload integration, validation and pre-launch confidence.
OVERVIEW
Built Around Readiness, Not Just Assembly
Assembly, Integration & Testing is one of the most important stages in any mission pathway. It is where spacecraft systems, payloads and supporting hardware are brought together, checked, validated and prepared for the conditions they will face before and after launch.
Orbitworks approaches this as more than a technical checkpoint. It is part of a broader mission readiness model, helping customers reduce uncertainty, improve coordination and move into deployment with greater confidence and control.
WHAT IT INCLUDES
Core AIT Capability
Assembly, Integration & Testing brings together the controlled spaces, tools and validation processes needed to prepare spacecraft and payload systems for deployment. The aim is not only to assemble hardware, but to prove readiness in a more structured and repeatable way.
Cleanroom Assembly
Controlled cleanroom environments support spacecraft and subsystem assembly with the consistency, cleanliness and precision required for mission-critical hardware.
Payload Integration
Payloads, platforms and supporting systems are brought together in a way that supports mission alignment, configuration accuracy and downstream reliability.
Lab and Design Space
Flexible engineering and lab environments support development, preparation and early validation activities before full integration and qualification.
Environmental Testing
Environmental chambers support controlled testing across temperature and humidity ranges to help verify performance under challenging conditions. Satellite Applications Catapult highlights environmental chamber capability as a core part of its AIT offer.
Vibration Testing
Vibration testing helps validate how spacecraft or components respond to launch-like mechanical stress, improving confidence in reliability before deployment. Satellite Applications Catapult presents vibration testing as a confidence-building step in product reliability
Thermal Vacuum Testing
Thermal vacuum testing helps assess how systems perform in space-like vacuum conditions, supporting a stronger path from integration to qualification. Satellite Applications Catapult explicitly describes thermal vacuum testing in this way.
COCKPIT
The Software Layer Behind Mission Operations
From payload tasking to operational visibility, Cockpit gives customers a clearer and more connected way to interact with mission infrastructure. Discover how the platform supports control across Orbitworks mission models and application areas.
WHO IT IS FOR
Designed for Missions That Need a Serious Route to Readiness
Assembly, Integration & Testing is suited to organisations that need more than isolated engineering support. It is most valuable where missions require structured preparation, tighter validation and a clearer route to deployment.
Hardware-Led Missions
For programmes bringing payloads, subsystems or dedicated mission hardware that require integration and qualification support.
Emerging Programmes
For teams moving from proof of concept towards prototype, validation and more operationally credible delivery. Satellite Applications Catapult uses very similar language around supporting projects from proof of concept to full-sized prototype.
Mission Teams Requiring Validation
For organisations that need stronger pre-launch confidence through environmental, vibration and vacuum testing.
PROCESS
From Build to Launch Readiness
AIT is most effective when it is treated as a sequence, not a collection of isolated tasks. This is where preparation becomes a repeatable mission pathway.
Step 1
Prepare
Initial hardware, payload and subsystem setup in a controlled environment
Step 2
Assemble
Structured assembly of mission hardware and supporting systems
Step 3
Integrate
Alignment of payloads, platforms and operational interfaces
Step 4
Validate
Environmental, vibration and vacuum testing to confirm readiness
Step 5
Qualify
Final checks and confirmation before deployment and mission execution
START YOUR MISSION
Talk to Orbitworks About Mission Readiness
Whether you are preparing payload hardware, moving towards qualification or looking for a stronger route through Assembly, Integration & Testing, Orbitworks can help define the next step.