Towards NGGM: Laser Tracking Instrument for the Next Generation of Gravity Missions

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

Authors

  • Kolja Nicklaus
  • Kai Voss
  • Anne Feiri
  • Marina Kaufer
  • Christian Dahl
  • Mark Herding
  • Bailey Allen Curzadd
  • Andreas Baatzsch
  • Johanna Flock
  • Markus Weller
  • Vitali Müller
  • Gerhard Heinzel
  • Malte Misfeldt
  • Juan Jose Esteban Delgado

Research Organisations

External Research Organisations

  • Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
  • SpaceTech GmbH Immenstaad (STI)
View graph of relations

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number4089
Pages (from-to)4089
JournalRemote sensing
Volume14
Issue number16
Publication statusPublished - 21 Aug 2022

Abstract

The precise tracking of distance variations between two satellites in low Earth orbit can provide key data for the understanding of the Earth’s system, specifically on seasonal and sub-seasonal water cycles and their impact on water levels. Measured distance variations, caused by local variations in gravitational field, serve as inputs to complex gravity models with which the movement of water on the globe can be identified. Satellite missions GOCE (2009–2013) and GRACE (2002–2017) delivered a significant improvement to our understanding of spatial and temporal gravity variations. Since 2018, GRACE Follow-On has been providing data continuity and features for the first time through the use of a laser interferometer as the technology demonstrator, in addition to a microwave ranging system as the main instrument. The laser interferometer provides an orders-of-magnitude lower measurement noise, and thereby could enable a significant improvement in the measurement of geoids if combined with suitable improvements in auxiliary instrumentation and Earth system modelling. In order to exploit the improved ranging performance, the ESA is investigating the design of a ‘Next Generation Gravity Mission’, consisting of two pairs of satellites with laser interferometers, improved accelerometers and improved platform performance. In this paper, we present the current design of the laser interferometer developed by us, the development status of the individual instrument units and the options available.

Keywords

    Earth gravity, GRACE, GRACE Follow-On, laser interferometry, NGGM

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Towards NGGM: Laser Tracking Instrument for the Next Generation of Gravity Missions. / Nicklaus, Kolja; Voss, Kai; Feiri, Anne et al.
In: Remote sensing, Vol. 14, No. 16, 4089, 21.08.2022, p. 4089.

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

Nicklaus, K, Voss, K, Feiri, A, Kaufer, M, Dahl, C, Herding, M, Curzadd, BA, Baatzsch, A, Flock, J, Weller, M, Müller, V, Heinzel, G, Misfeldt, M & Delgado, JJE 2022, 'Towards NGGM: Laser Tracking Instrument for the Next Generation of Gravity Missions', Remote sensing, vol. 14, no. 16, 4089, pp. 4089. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14164089
Nicklaus, K., Voss, K., Feiri, A., Kaufer, M., Dahl, C., Herding, M., Curzadd, B. A., Baatzsch, A., Flock, J., Weller, M., Müller, V., Heinzel, G., Misfeldt, M., & Delgado, J. J. E. (2022). Towards NGGM: Laser Tracking Instrument for the Next Generation of Gravity Missions. Remote sensing, 14(16), 4089. Article 4089. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14164089
Nicklaus K, Voss K, Feiri A, Kaufer M, Dahl C, Herding M et al. Towards NGGM: Laser Tracking Instrument for the Next Generation of Gravity Missions. Remote sensing. 2022 Aug 21;14(16):4089. 4089. doi: 10.3390/rs14164089
Nicklaus, Kolja ; Voss, Kai ; Feiri, Anne et al. / Towards NGGM: Laser Tracking Instrument for the Next Generation of Gravity Missions. In: Remote sensing. 2022 ; Vol. 14, No. 16. pp. 4089.
Download
@article{40aaee5aeb1c41f7b9951848406bc1fb,
title = "Towards NGGM: Laser Tracking Instrument for the Next Generation of Gravity Missions",
abstract = "The precise tracking of distance variations between two satellites in low Earth orbit can provide key data for the understanding of the Earth{\textquoteright}s system, specifically on seasonal and sub-seasonal water cycles and their impact on water levels. Measured distance variations, caused by local variations in gravitational field, serve as inputs to complex gravity models with which the movement of water on the globe can be identified. Satellite missions GOCE (2009–2013) and GRACE (2002–2017) delivered a significant improvement to our understanding of spatial and temporal gravity variations. Since 2018, GRACE Follow-On has been providing data continuity and features for the first time through the use of a laser interferometer as the technology demonstrator, in addition to a microwave ranging system as the main instrument. The laser interferometer provides an orders-of-magnitude lower measurement noise, and thereby could enable a significant improvement in the measurement of geoids if combined with suitable improvements in auxiliary instrumentation and Earth system modelling. In order to exploit the improved ranging performance, the ESA is investigating the design of a {\textquoteleft}Next Generation Gravity Mission{\textquoteright}, consisting of two pairs of satellites with laser interferometers, improved accelerometers and improved platform performance. In this paper, we present the current design of the laser interferometer developed by us, the development status of the individual instrument units and the options available.",
keywords = "Earth gravity, GRACE, GRACE Follow-On, laser interferometry, NGGM",
author = "Kolja Nicklaus and Kai Voss and Anne Feiri and Marina Kaufer and Christian Dahl and Mark Herding and Curzadd, {Bailey Allen} and Andreas Baatzsch and Johanna Flock and Markus Weller and Vitali M{\"u}ller and Gerhard Heinzel and Malte Misfeldt and Delgado, {Juan Jose Esteban}",
note = "Funding information: This research was funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), by the activity “Pre-development of a Laser Tracking Instrument”,contract no. 4000134527/21/NL/AD. The view expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Space Agency. This work, or some authors, were supported by: The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation, project-ID 434617780, SFB 1464) and Clusters of Excellence “QuantumFrontiers: Light and Matter at the Quantum Frontier: Foundations and Applications in Metrology” (EXC-2123, project number: 390837967).",
year = "2022",
month = aug,
day = "21",
doi = "10.3390/rs14164089",
language = "English",
volume = "14",
pages = "4089",
journal = "Remote sensing",
issn = "2072-4292",
publisher = "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute",
number = "16",

}

Download

TY - JOUR

T1 - Towards NGGM: Laser Tracking Instrument for the Next Generation of Gravity Missions

AU - Nicklaus, Kolja

AU - Voss, Kai

AU - Feiri, Anne

AU - Kaufer, Marina

AU - Dahl, Christian

AU - Herding, Mark

AU - Curzadd, Bailey Allen

AU - Baatzsch, Andreas

AU - Flock, Johanna

AU - Weller, Markus

AU - Müller, Vitali

AU - Heinzel, Gerhard

AU - Misfeldt, Malte

AU - Delgado, Juan Jose Esteban

N1 - Funding information: This research was funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), by the activity “Pre-development of a Laser Tracking Instrument”,contract no. 4000134527/21/NL/AD. The view expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Space Agency. This work, or some authors, were supported by: The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation, project-ID 434617780, SFB 1464) and Clusters of Excellence “QuantumFrontiers: Light and Matter at the Quantum Frontier: Foundations and Applications in Metrology” (EXC-2123, project number: 390837967).

PY - 2022/8/21

Y1 - 2022/8/21

N2 - The precise tracking of distance variations between two satellites in low Earth orbit can provide key data for the understanding of the Earth’s system, specifically on seasonal and sub-seasonal water cycles and their impact on water levels. Measured distance variations, caused by local variations in gravitational field, serve as inputs to complex gravity models with which the movement of water on the globe can be identified. Satellite missions GOCE (2009–2013) and GRACE (2002–2017) delivered a significant improvement to our understanding of spatial and temporal gravity variations. Since 2018, GRACE Follow-On has been providing data continuity and features for the first time through the use of a laser interferometer as the technology demonstrator, in addition to a microwave ranging system as the main instrument. The laser interferometer provides an orders-of-magnitude lower measurement noise, and thereby could enable a significant improvement in the measurement of geoids if combined with suitable improvements in auxiliary instrumentation and Earth system modelling. In order to exploit the improved ranging performance, the ESA is investigating the design of a ‘Next Generation Gravity Mission’, consisting of two pairs of satellites with laser interferometers, improved accelerometers and improved platform performance. In this paper, we present the current design of the laser interferometer developed by us, the development status of the individual instrument units and the options available.

AB - The precise tracking of distance variations between two satellites in low Earth orbit can provide key data for the understanding of the Earth’s system, specifically on seasonal and sub-seasonal water cycles and their impact on water levels. Measured distance variations, caused by local variations in gravitational field, serve as inputs to complex gravity models with which the movement of water on the globe can be identified. Satellite missions GOCE (2009–2013) and GRACE (2002–2017) delivered a significant improvement to our understanding of spatial and temporal gravity variations. Since 2018, GRACE Follow-On has been providing data continuity and features for the first time through the use of a laser interferometer as the technology demonstrator, in addition to a microwave ranging system as the main instrument. The laser interferometer provides an orders-of-magnitude lower measurement noise, and thereby could enable a significant improvement in the measurement of geoids if combined with suitable improvements in auxiliary instrumentation and Earth system modelling. In order to exploit the improved ranging performance, the ESA is investigating the design of a ‘Next Generation Gravity Mission’, consisting of two pairs of satellites with laser interferometers, improved accelerometers and improved platform performance. In this paper, we present the current design of the laser interferometer developed by us, the development status of the individual instrument units and the options available.

KW - Earth gravity

KW - GRACE

KW - GRACE Follow-On

KW - laser interferometry

KW - NGGM

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85137761300&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/rs14164089

DO - 10.3390/rs14164089

M3 - Article

VL - 14

SP - 4089

JO - Remote sensing

JF - Remote sensing

SN - 2072-4292

IS - 16

M1 - 4089

ER -