A dedicated Earth-orbiting spacecraft for investigating fundamental physics and the space environment
- Paper number
IAC-15,A7,2,7,x30918
- Author
Dr. Roberto Peron, INAF-IAPS, Italy
- Coauthor
Prof. Enrico C. Lorenzini, Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy
- Year
2015
- Abstract
A dedicated mission in low Earth orbit is proposed to test the gravitational interaction and place improved limits on the atmospheric density in the altitude range of 500-1200 km. The core of the mission would be a very simple spacecraft placed in a polar eccentric orbit and tracked with high precision; an on-board accelerometer would measure the non-gravitational accelerations acting on it. The precise orbit determination is expected to provide a verification of general relativistic predictions and estimates of geophysical parameters, while the accelerometer data would be fundamental in constraining the atmospheric density. Along with the scientific objectives, a basic mission configuration will be described and discussed, highlighting the main issues to be explored.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-15,A7,2,7,x30918.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.