The Centre Spatial de Liège (CSL, ULiège) hosted an exceptional handling operation on 25 August, involving the transfer of the FOCAL 7 vacuum chamber - designed by the company AMOS - to the CSL’s brand-new cleanroom. A 700-tonne crane was deployed to hoist and lower this oversized piece of equipment, section by section, through the roof of the building. This was a spectacular milestone in a major extension project that is still ongoing.
T
he CSL, a research centre at the University of Liège specialising in the testing and qualification of space instruments, has reached a major milestone in its development. On 25 August, the FOCAL 7 (Optical CAlibration Facility in Liège) vacuum chamber, manufactured by AMOS (a spin-off from the University of Liège, located next to the CSL), was moved from its manufacturing site, just a few dozen metres away, to the CSL’s new cleanroom, following a precision manoeuvre closely monitored by the technical teams.
Given its size and weight, the FOCAL 7 chamber could not be moved in one piece. The transfer operation required a 700-tonne crane (deployed for the entire duration of the manoeuvre), the vessel being cut into three separate sections (each weighing between forty and fifty tonnes), and each section being passed through an opening cut into the roof of the cleanroom, with a manoeuvring margin of barely a few centimetres. This minimal margin demanded flawless handling, as the slightest deviation in trajectory could damage both the tank and the building’s structure. As such, the operation ranks among the most delicate lifting operations ever carried out at the Sart Tilman site.
State-of-the-art equipment for the XL space missions of tomorrow
Measuring seven metres in diameter and nearly fourteen metres in length, FOCAL 7 will be the CSL’s largest vacuum chamber. It will house a hyper-stable optical bench measuring twelve by four metres, mounted on a seismic slab, and will be connected to a nitrogen-based thermal system and cryogenic loops. “This equipment will enable us to reproduce the ultra-cold environments required – close to absolute zero – to calibrate and qualify very large space instruments,” explains Cédric Leanerts, Head of Surface Engineering at the CSL.
With this new state-of-the-art equipment, the Liège Space Centre has acquired a testing facility that combines large scale with a cryogenic environment close to absolute zero – the first of its kind in Europe for the optical calibration of large-scale instruments. It will be used for both Earth observation missions and purely scientific missions, across a wide range of wavelengths. This facility strengthens the CSL’s position as a leading player in the development and validation of future generations of space instruments, whether for the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA, JAXA or other major players in the sector. “This handover marks a decisive milestone for the CSL. With the FOCAL 7 chamber, we now have a facility that is unique in Europe for cryogenic optical calibration, capable of accommodating the large-scale space instruments of the future, whether for observing our planet or exploring the universe,” says Benoît Marquet, Director of Operations at the CSL.
A major expansion project, still underway
The arrival of FOCAL 7 forms part of a much broader expansion programme undertaken by the CSL, representing an investment of over 26 million euros. This project adds 1,580 m² of new infrastructure and doubles the CSL’s cleanroom and storage space. Two buildings are therefore being erected on either side of the existing facilities: a new storage hall and a new cleanroom – subdivided into an ISO7 zone and an ISO5 zone with a cleanliness level a hundred times higher – which will specifically house the FOCAL 7 tank.
This project is supported by funding from two public bodies. The FOCAL7 vessel itself was funded by the Walloon Region to the tune of around 9 million euros, whilst the infrastructure housing it (the new storage hall and the new cleanroom) was funded by the federal government to the tune of 15 million euros. “This partnership between Wallonia and the federal government illustrates the strategic importance attached to the development of space infrastructure in Belgium, in a sector experiencing strong growth at European level,” adds Christophe Grodent, Commercial Director of the CSL. The entire facility is expected to become operational in mid-2027.
Established in 1964 by the University of Liège, the CSL is an applied research centre specialising in the design, integration and qualification of space observation instruments. Located at the heart of the Liège Science Park, it employs around 100 highly qualified staff and makes its environmental testing facilities available to the ESA, the space industry and regional businesses. Its cleanrooms and Focal vacuum chambers enable the space environment to be replicated for the testing of satellites and instruments.
AMOS (Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems) is a Belgian company based in Liège, specialising in the design and manufacture of high-precision optical and mechanical systems for astronomy, space, scientific applications and industry. Since 1983, AMOS has combined cutting-edge engineering with exceptional craftsmanship to deliver complex systems capable of operating in the most demanding environments. It is this expertise in large opto-mechanical structures, vacuum technology and optical stability that has enabled the company to design and build the Focal 7 chamber.
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