The ViaSat-3 Americas satellite has successfully completed its Final Integrated Satellite Test (FIST), according to Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a world leader in satellite communications. It has now advanced to the Flight Final phase of integration, where it is undergoing the final build-up to its flight configuration.
In order to ensure that all of the satellite’s payload and bus systems are operating properly after being subjected to the rigours of mechanical environmental testing, which acted as a launch simulation, FIST was created. The satellite has previously passed mechanical environmental testing as well as thermal vacuum testing, which replicated vacuum and the incredibly hot and cold temperatures of space, where the satellite will operate throughout the course of its anticipated 15-year lifespan. FIST verified that despite the mechanical and thermal strains of the earlier test phases, the satellite continued to function as intended.
“Now that the Final Integrated Satellite Test has been completed, we have conclusive proof that the satellite design and construction process resulted in a spacecraft that is ready for launch. As soon as the satellite is finished, it will be ready to be transported from Boeing’s factory in El Segundo, California to Cape Canaveral, Florida, according to Dave Ryan, president of Space & Commercial Networks at Viasat. “We can now move on to the final preparations for flight,” he added.
The conclusion of FIST is a key milestone as we approach the delivery and launch of the spacecraft, according to Ryan.

Source: Prnewswire