METRIC: A Dedicated Earth-Orbiting Spacecraft for Investigating Gravitational Physics and the Space Environment

Aerospace

Enrico C. Lorenzini¹  Roberto Peron² 

[1] Department of Industrial Engineering and CISAS “Giuseppe Colombo”, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy;Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS-INAF), 00133 Roma, Italy;

关键词: fundamental physics;    general relativity;    space environment;    atmospheric density;    International Terrestrial Reference Frame;    measurement of acceleration;    satellite laser ranging;    global navigation satellite systems;   

DOI  :  10.3390/aerospace4030038

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

A dedicated mission in low Earth orbit is proposed to test predictions of gravitational interaction theories and to directly measure the atmospheric density in a relevant altitude range, as well as to provide a metrological platform able to tie different space geodesy techniques. The concept foresees a small spacecraft to be placed in a dawn-dusk eccentric orbit between 450 and 1200 km of altitude. The spacecraft will be tracked from the ground with high precision, and a three-axis accelerometer package on-board will measure the non-gravitational accelerations acting on its surface. Estimates of parameters related to fundamental physics and geophysics should be obtained by a precise orbit determination, while the accelerometer data will be instrumental in constraining the atmospheric density. Along with the mission scientific objectives, a conceptual configuration is described together with an analysis of the dynamical environment experienced by the spacecraft and the accelerometer.

【 授权许可】

Unknown