SENS4 HEADED FOR SPACE MISSION

Hellebaek, Denmark, June 22nd, 2021 – Sens4 A/S, a developer and manufacturer of vacuum and pressure measurement solutions, has been selected as supplier of vacuum measurement for the WISA Woodsat space mission. The WISA Woodsat is a nanosatellite designed and built by Arctic Astronautics where the European Space Agency (ESA) supplies a suite of novel sensors including a MEMS SmartPirani™ vacuum pressure transducer from Sens4.

The mission is to gather data about the behavior and durability of plywood over an extended period in the harsh temperatures, vacuum conditions, and radiation of space to assess the use of wood materials in space structures.

The Sens4 ultra-wide range MEMS SmartPirani™ transducer will be used to monitor vacuum gas pressure and materials outgassing levels internally in the satellite structure during the space mission.

“We are very honored and excited to be partnered with ESA and get the opportunity to contribute with our cutting-edge vacuum measurement technology for a space mission with an innovative approach.” said Ole Wenzel, CEO of Sens4 A/S. Ole continues: “We introduced our first vacuum measurement product to the market in 2019, and it is fantastic to experience that already now the countdown is on for the first Sens4 product to be launched into orbit.”

Caspar Christiansen, CTO of Sens4 A/S, adds: “It has been a great pleasure to work with the ESA Woodsat team and learn how agile and rapid development adds value in a project like this, where a tailormade and innovative solution was designed over a period of just a few months.” 

The MEMS SmartPirani™ heat-loss vacuum transducer for space flight use offers a measuring range down to 1E-6 mbar (7.5E-7 Torr) and is designed to withstand G-forces and vibrations experienced during rocket launch.

The nanosatellite is scheduled for launch in 2021 onboard a Rocket Lab Electron launcher from the launch complex Mahia, New Zealand.