Proba-V Flight Model about to be placed in a pressure chamber for thermal vacuum testing at Intespace in Toulouse during January 2013. Thermal vacuum testing reproduces the airlessness and temperature extremes to check the satellite is unaffected.

ESA’s Proba-V microsatellite is designed to chart global vegetation every two days. The latest in the Proba family of satellites – each one smaller than a cubic metre – Proba-V will launch in spring 2013.