Validation of the in-flight calibration procedures for the MICROSCOPE space mission

Abstract

The MICROSCOPE space mission aims to test the Equivalence Principle with an accuracy of $10^{-15}$. The drag-free micro-satellite will orbit around the Earth and embark a differential electrostatic accelerometer including two cylindrical test masses submitted to the same gravitational field and made of different materials. The experience consists in testing the equality of the electrostatic acceleration applied to the masses to maintain them relatively motionless. The accuracy of the measurements exploited for the test of the Equivalence Principle is limited by our a priori knowledge of several physical parameters of the instrument. These parameters are partially estimated on-ground, but with an insufficient accuracy, and an in-orbit calibration is therefore required to correct the measurements. The calibration procedures have been defined and their analytical performances have been evaluated. In addition, a simulator software including the dynamics model of the instrument, the satellite drag-free system and the perturbing environment has been developed to numerically validate the analytical results. After an overall presentation of the MICROSCOPE mission, this paper will describe the calibration procedures and focus on the simulator. Such an in-flight calibration is mandatory for similar space missions taking advantage of a drag-free system.

29 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, publication in Advances in Space Research

References in corpus (1)

• Test of the Equivalence Principle Using a Rotating Torsion Balance

Cited by in corpus (5)

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• Status of MICROSCOPE, a mission to test the Equivalence Principle in space
• Regression analysis with missing data and unknown colored noise: application to the MICROSCOPE space mission
• Gravity gradient suppression in spaceborne atomic tests of the equivalence principle
• Determination of the Equivalence Principle violation signal for the MICROSCOPE space mission: optimization of the signal processing