The MICROSCOPE instrument realisation challenge and performance assessment
- Paper number
IAC-06-A2.1.01
- Author
Mr. Manuel Rodrigues, Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA), France
- Coauthor
Mr. Ratana Chhun, Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA), France
- Coauthor
Ms. Danya Hudson, Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA), France
- Coauthor
Mr. Pierre Touboul, Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA), France
- Year
2006
- Abstract
The MICROSCOPE space mission is dedicated to the test of the Equivalence Principle in orbit with accuracy of 10 −15 , and to be launched in 2009. The instrument at the core of the experiment is composed of two concentric test-masses made of different materials finely controlled by electrostatic forces in order to follow the same Earth’s geodesic. These masses are used to test the universality of free-fall and constitute the masses of the differential accelerometer developed in ONERA. The accelerometers are also used to compensate the surface forces and torques applied on the satellite. The performance of the instrument is one of the major contributors to the mission budget of error since differential acceleration measurement of a few 0.1 femto-g resolution at orbital frequency is foreseen. Obviously the characteristics of the different parts of the instrument, mechanical parts as well as electronics, have to meet strong requirements to achieve such a level of accuracy. A specific effort has been paid to improve the thermal design of the satellite and of the instrument. The magnetic environment and the on-board self-gravity have also been of a particular care in order to assess the evaluation of the instrument performance. This paper will tackle the achievements attained up to the instrument and satellite preliminary design reviews at the beginning of 2006, and the few fields which remain to be investigated and improved to detect such a low acceleration signal. A particular focus will be done on the test-mass design and production results which impacts the servo-controlled of the test-mass, the sensitivity to gravity field and to gravity gradients and the sensitivity to attitude motion control of the satellite.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-A2.1.01.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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