The design and construction of a prototype lateral-transfer retro-reflector for inter-satellite laser ranging

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review

Authors

  • R. L. Ward
  • R. Fleddermann
  • S. Francis
  • C. Mow-Lowry
  • D. Wuchenich
  • M. Elliot
  • F. Gilles
  • M. Herding
  • K. Nicklaus
  • J. Brown
  • J. Burke
  • S. Dligatch
  • D. Farrant
  • K. Green
  • J. Seckold
  • M. Blundell
  • R. Brister
  • C. Smith
  • K. Danzmann
  • G. Heinzel
  • D. Schütze
  • B. S. Sheard
  • W. Klipstein
  • D. E. McClelland
  • D. A. Shaddock

Research Organisations

External Research Organisations

  • SpaceTech GmbH Immenstaad (STI)
  • Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • BIAS - Bremen Institute for Applied Beam Technology
  • Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
  • Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  • Mount Stromlo Observatory (MSO)
  • Australian National University
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number095015
JournalClassical and quantum gravity
Volume31
Issue number9
Publication statusPublished - 7 May 2014

Abstract

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission, launched in 2002, is nearing an end, and a continuation mission (GRACE Follow-on) is on a fast-tracked development. GRACE Follow-on will include a laser ranging interferometer technology demonstrator, which will perform the first laser interferometric ranging measurement between separate spacecraft. This necessitates the development of lightweight precision optics that can operate in this demanding environment. In particular, this beam routing system, called the triple mirror assembly, for the GRACE Follow-on mission presents a significant manufacturing challenge. Here we report on the design and construction of a prototype triple mirror assembly for the GRACE Follow-on mission. Our constructed prototype has a co-alignment error between the incoming and outgoing beams of 9 μrad, which meets the requirement that this error must be less than 10 μrad.

Keywords

    gravity measurement, precision optics, satellite interferometry, satellite optics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

The design and construction of a prototype lateral-transfer retro-reflector for inter-satellite laser ranging. / Ward, R. L.; Fleddermann, R.; Francis, S. et al.
In: Classical and quantum gravity, Vol. 31, No. 9, 095015, 07.05.2014.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review

Ward, RL, Fleddermann, R, Francis, S, Mow-Lowry, C, Wuchenich, D, Elliot, M, Gilles, F, Herding, M, Nicklaus, K, Brown, J, Burke, J, Dligatch, S, Farrant, D, Green, K, Seckold, J, Blundell, M, Brister, R, Smith, C, Danzmann, K, Heinzel, G, Schütze, D, Sheard, BS, Klipstein, W, McClelland, DE & Shaddock, DA 2014, 'The design and construction of a prototype lateral-transfer retro-reflector for inter-satellite laser ranging', Classical and quantum gravity, vol. 31, no. 9, 095015. https://doi.org/10.1088/0264-9381/31/9/095015
Ward, R. L., Fleddermann, R., Francis, S., Mow-Lowry, C., Wuchenich, D., Elliot, M., Gilles, F., Herding, M., Nicklaus, K., Brown, J., Burke, J., Dligatch, S., Farrant, D., Green, K., Seckold, J., Blundell, M., Brister, R., Smith, C., Danzmann, K., ... Shaddock, D. A. (2014). The design and construction of a prototype lateral-transfer retro-reflector for inter-satellite laser ranging. Classical and quantum gravity, 31(9), Article 095015. https://doi.org/10.1088/0264-9381/31/9/095015
Ward RL, Fleddermann R, Francis S, Mow-Lowry C, Wuchenich D, Elliot M et al. The design and construction of a prototype lateral-transfer retro-reflector for inter-satellite laser ranging. Classical and quantum gravity. 2014 May 7;31(9):095015. doi: 10.1088/0264-9381/31/9/095015
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