In November and December of 2012, the Gaia payload underwent an extensive thermal-balance/thermal-vacuum test campaign. This campaign took place around the clock during 40 days at the Centre Spatial de Liège (CSL). This picture shows a part of the combined Astrium and CSL team which, through their dedication, allowed this test campaign to be completed successfully.

Top row, standing people, from left to right: Marc Zanoni (Astrium), Pierre Jamotton (CSL), Frédéric Guedes (Astrium), Andrée Porras (Astrium), Arnaud Aurousseau (Astrium), Patrcik Bonzon (Astrium), Fabien Piquemal(Astrium), Isabelle Tychon (CSL), Michel Choquet (Astrium), Claude Faubert (Astrium), Bernard Bories (Astrium), Sylvie Liebecq (CSL), and Alexandre Affre (Astrium).

Bottom row, kneeling people, from left to right: Patrick Gareth (Astrium), Gilles Fonguy (Astrium), Eric Decourbey (Astrium), Sylvain Brevers (CSL), and Jean-Michel Loupias (Astrium).

Other CSL-team members involved in this campaign but not pictured were: Christophe Grodent, Michel Thomé, Ghislain van Aubel, Martin Broen, Josiane Verstraelen, Robert Schetter, André Marchal, Frédéric Collard, and Alex Vardakas.

[Published: 11/02/2013]