Related papers: Electrostatic accelerometer with bias rejection fo…
In order to test gravitation in the Solar System, it is necessary to improve the orbit restitution of interplanetary spacecrafts. The addition of an accelerometer on board is a major step toward this goal because this instrument measures…
Space provides unique opportunities to test gravitation. By using an interplanetary spacecraft as a test mass, it is possible to test General Relativity at the Solar System distance scale. This requires to compute accurately the trajectory…
Radio tracking of interplanetary probes is an important tool for navigation purposes as well as for testing the laws of physics or exploring planetary environments. The addition of an accelerometer on board a spacecraft provides orbit…
The Gravity Advanced Package is an instrument composed of an electrostatic accelerometer called MicroSTAR and a rotating platform called Bias Rejection System. It aims at measuring with no bias the non-gravitational acceleration of a…
We show that an interferometer moving at a relativistic speed relative to a point source of light offers a sensitive probe of acceleration. Such an accelerometer contains no moving parts, and is thus more robust than conventional…
We propose a concept for future space gravity missions using cold atom interferometers for measuring the diagonal elements of the gravity gradient tensor and the spacecraft angular velocity. The aim is to achieve better performance than…
The techniques of laser cooling combined with atom interferometry make possible the realization of very sensitive and accurate inertial sensors like gyroscopes or accelerometers. Besides earth-based developments, the use of these techniques…
Twenty years of gravity observations from various satellite missions have provided unique data about mass redistribution processes in the Earth system. This paper studies the benefit of enhanced electrostatic and novel optical…
ASTROD (Astrodynamical Space Test of Relativity using Optical Devices) is a mission concept with three spacecraft -- one near L1/L2 point, one with an inner solar orbit and one with an outer solar orbit, ranging coherently with one another…
Dedicated accelerometers have been developed for the MICROSCOPE mission taking into account the specific range of acceleration to be measured on board the satellite. Considering one micro-g and even less as the full range of the instrument,…
In this paper, we present an overview of ASTROD (Astrodynamical Space Test of Relativity using Optical Devices) and ASTROD I mission concepts and studies. The missions employ deep-space laser ranging using drag-free spacecraft to map the…
For testing gravity and detecting gravitational waves in space, deep-space laser ranging using drag-free spacecraft is a common method. Deep space provides a large arena and a long integration time. Laser technology provides measurement…
Solar System tests give nowadays constraints on the estimated value of the cosmological constant, which can be accurately derived from different experiments regarding gravitational redshift, light deflection, gravitational time-delay and…
The basic constituent of interferometric gravitational wave detectors -- the test mass to test mass interferometric link -- behaves as a differential dynamometer measuring effective differential forces, comprising an integrated measure of…
This paper discusses new fundamental physics experiment to test relativistic gravity at the accuracy better than the effects of the 2nd order in the gravitational field strength. The Laser Astrometric Test Of Relativity (LATOR) mission uses…
An innovative orbit determination method which makes use of gravity gradients for Low-Earth-Orbiting satellites is proposed. The measurement principle of gravity gradiometry is briefly reviewed and the sources of measurement error are…
This paper focuses on the mission design for the Laser Astrometric Test Of Relativity (LATOR). This mission uses laser interferometry between two micro-spacecraft whose lines of sight pass close by the Sun to accurately measure deflection…
Building upon earlier work, we explore the limits of using a configuration of satellites to measure the trace of the gravitational gradient tensor using intersatellite laser ranging and timing observables without relying on high-precision…
This paper discusses new fundamental physics experiment that will test relativistic gravity at the accuracy better than the effects of the second order in the gravitational field strength, $\propto G^2$. The Laser Astrometric Test Of…
This paper discusses new Fundamental physics experiment that will test relativistic gravity at the accuracy better than the effects of the second order in the gravitational field strength, ~G^2. The Laser Astrometric Test Of Relativity…