Status of the Flight Payload of the Microscope Space Mission

Paper number

IAC-14,A2,1,5,x23533

Author

Mr. Manuel Rodrigues, Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA), France

Coauthor

Dr. Phuong-Anh Huynh, Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA), France

Coauthor

Mr. Pierre Touboul, ONERA, France

Coauthor

Dr. Bernard Foulon, 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

Mr. Damien Boulanger, Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA), France

Year

2014

Abstract

The MICROSCOPE space mission aims at testing the Equivalence Principle (EP) with an accuracy of 10e-15. This principle is one of the bases of the General relativity theory; it states the equivalence between gravitational and inertial mass. The test is based on the precise measurement of a gravitational signal by a differential electrostatic accelerometer which includes two cylindrical test masses made of different materials. The accelerometers constitute the payload accommodated is on board a drag-free micro satellite which is controlled inertial or rotating about the normal to the orbital plane with a very stable angular velocity. The acceleration estimates used for the EP test are disturbed by the instrument's physical parameters and by the instrument environment conditions on board the satellite. A lot of these parameters are measured with ground tests of the electronics units or during the integration mechanics or of the full instrument into the satellite. Nevertheless, in spite of a very detailed error budget, these ground evaluations are not sufficient with respect to the EP test accuracy objectives and in-orbit calibration is mandatory to complete their fine characterization.
After a general description of the MICROSCOPE space mission and the instrument, the paper will present the status of the flight-model payload, the results of its environmental tests and the lessons learned from the drop tower catapult test where “what you see is what you will see in orbit”.

Abstract document

IAC-14,A2,1,5,x23533.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-14,A2,1,5,x23533.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.