A new vacuum chamber for Cal Poly's College of Engineering was dedicated on campus Thursday, the university announced.
Congressman Salud Carbajal, who helped secure the funding for Cal Poly's Aerospace Engineering Department, was at the university for the dedication.
The new Thermal Vacuum Chamber duplicates a space environment and allows students and faculty to test spacecraft or spacecraft parts.
It will be used to develop CubeSats, affordable mini-satellites that allow for space exploration and research.
The funding for the vacuum chamber comes to the Aerospace Engineering Department thanks to a partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory—a connection the Carbajal championed. The Education Partnership Agreement provides $5 million in funding that is split evenly between Cal Poly and Cal Poly Pomona.
