PARADISE - IAS Station d'étalonnage

The Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), Unité Mixte de Recherche du CNRS et de l'Université Paris Saclay, is one of the major European space laboratories, and its research relies heavily on space observations. The scientific and technical teams of the IAS design instruments for major space missions in astronomy, supervising their realization and measuring their performance. Last operation before the delivery to the agencies, the calibration allows to establish all the instrument functions. This phase is carried out in the calibration station. It is a national facility supported by CNES, CNRS and the University, and is a founding member of the national GIS PARADISE which gathers the means of integration and test for the sciences of the universe. The calibration station is accessible to the whole community developing space instruments or equipment (e.g. French or international laboratories, industrials, space agencies: CNES, ESA, JAXA, NASA). The platform includes a set of calibration and mechanical test facilities: 7 vacuum chambers simulating the space environment, located in clean halls of ISO7 and ISO8 class, clean rooms for integration or testing, vibration test facilities and physical measurements. Since 2017, the calibration station platform is also equipped with a sterile room (Planetary Protection room) and a sterilization facility.

• Mr Paul LAMI