Design and Implementation of a Thermal Vacuum Chamber for High Altitude Electronics Testing

As high-energy astrophysics takes to the skies through high-altitude balloon experiments, verifying the integrity of onboard electronics in relevant conditions becomes critical to mission success. This project focuses on the development of a modular Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) chamber designed to simulate stratospheric conditions for electronics testing.

The TVAC chamber employs a vacuum pump and a lab refrigeration unit to reach pressures as low as 3 millibar and temperatures down to –50 °C. Thermocouple probes monitor temperature at key circuit locations, while a compact MicroPirani vacuum gauge provides real time pressure readings. All sensor data is sent to a Raspberry Pi for continuous monitoring and logging. Additional system components include a structural base and SMA cable feedthroughs to supply power to devices under test.

This project aims to show pressure and temperature changes versus time, recorded while electronics operate within the chamber. This enables systematic evaluation of device functionality under relevant environmental conditions, with particular focus on how temperature fluctuations affect radio-frequency signal chain performance. Of particular interest during thermal vacuum tests is whether active components exceed their operating temperature or whether any electronics fail due to arcing in moderately low pressure environments. By identifying potential hardware failure prior to deployment, this project supports the development of more reliable instrumentation for high-altitude cosmic ray and neutrino astrophysics missions such as PUEO and PBR.