Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Drop Tower Microgravity Improvement Towards the Nano-g Level for the MICROSCOPE Payload Tests

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Microgravity Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Bremen drop tower at the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) provides high quality micro-g condition needed for many high precision tests. This is even more improved by the development of a free flyer technology. This new technology is used for a free fall test of the MICROSCOPE differential accelerometers which only can work with a residual acceleration disturbance level below 25 nano-g in the high resolution mode. The French MICROSCOPE space mission for testing the Weak Equivalence Principle is scheduled for 2012/2013. The free fall accelerometer test campaign at ZARM is an important part of the pre-mission test program. In this article the new free flyer technology, its performance as well as the accelerometer tests are described.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bremer, S., List, M.: Modelling of the MICROSCOPE mission. In: Proceedings “Satellite dynamics: Modelling, In Orbit Callibration and Data Processing”. Space Sci. Rev. 151, 39–48 (2010). doi:10.1007/s11214-009-9599-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Damour, T.: The equivalence principle and the constants of nature. Space Sci. Rev. 148, 191 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dittus, H.: Why doing fundamental physics on the ISS?—the experimental conditions. Gen. Relativ. Grav. 36, 601 (2004)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Flury, J., Bettadpur, S., Tapley, B.D.: Precise accelerometry onboard the GRACE gravity field satellite mission. Adv. Space Res. 42, 1414–1423 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hagedorn, D.: Development of a Fabrication Method for the Orbital Project “Microscope”, PTB. http://euromet.ptb.de/en/org/5/nachrichten5/_index.htm (2008)

  • Lämmerzahl, C.: The search for quantum gravity effects II: specific predictions. Appl. Phys. B 634, 563 (2006a)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lämmerzahl, C.: The search for quantum gravity effects I. Appl. Phys. B 634, 551 (2006b)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • List, M., Selig, H., Bremer, S., Lämmerzahl, C.: MICROSCOPE: a mission to test the equivalence principle. In: IAU Symposium, vol. 261. Submitted to “Relativity in Fundamental Astronomy: Dynamics, Reference Frames and Data Analysis” (2009)

  • Mell, W.E., McGrattan, K.B., Baum, H.R.: g-Jitter effects on spherical diffusion flames. Microgravity Sci. Technol. XV/4, 12–30 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pletser, V.: International heat and mass transfer experiments on the 48th ESA parabolic flight campaign of March 2008. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 20, 177–182 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Touboul, P.: Space accelerometers present status. In: Lämmerzahl, C., Everitt, C.W.F., Hehl, F.W. (eds.) Gyros, Clocks, Interferometers...: Testing Relativistic Gravity in Space. LNP, vol. 562, pp. 273–291 (2001)

  • Touboul, P.: The MICROSCOPE mission and its uncertainty analysis. Space Sci. Rev. 148, 455–474 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM), University of Bremen, Am Fallturm, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Hanns Selig & Claus Lämmerzahl

  2. Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)—Institute of Aerospace Systems, Bremen, Germany

    Hansjörg Dittus

Authors
  1. Hanns Selig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hansjörg Dittus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Claus Lämmerzahl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hanns Selig.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Selig, H., Dittus, H. & Lämmerzahl, C. Drop Tower Microgravity Improvement Towards the Nano-g Level for the MICROSCOPE Payload Tests. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 22, 539–549 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-010-9210-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-010-9210-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation