MXL is headquartered in room 2211 of the FXB building on the University of Michigan’s North Campus in Ann Arbor, Mich. A variety of facilities there and across campus support our research and development work.
Main Laboratory
Located in 2211 FXB Building, the main lab is where primary design and testing work occurs. It contains multiple laboratory benches for subsystem testing. A small computer cluster and multiple conference tables nearby enables concurrent design work.
Ground Stations
MXL has a growing number of ground station systems to support global satellite communications. We have two UHF and VHF yagi-based ground stations in Ann Arbor supporting a variety of LEO missions.We also have a 26 meter radio telescope at the Peach Mountain observatory that will soon be upgraded to support satellite contacts.
Vibration Test Facilities
MXL partners with the Space Physics Research Laboratory (SPRL) for vibration test facilities. The vibe table is located across the street from FXB. We vibe-tested all our flight missions to NASA GEV levels. The photo on the left shows component testing of a battery mount used on the RAX-2 satellite.
Clean Room
MXL has a clean room located in 2211 to facilitate flight system fabrication.. The clean room features a positive air pressurization system, and contains two fully-equipped lab benches. All satellite integration takes place here.
Thermal and Vacuum Testing
Adjacent to the clean room in the FXB basement is the thermal and vacuum testing equipment. These apparatuses allow the lab to conduct thorough testing to ensure that our spacecraft are capable of operating in the harsh environment of space.
Solar Panel Testing
We have developed several systems for characterizing small solar panels. We have an HMI-powered light that provides AM0 power levels with a spectra similar to space. We also perform non-destructive IR testing of panels.