A Strategy to Characterize the LISA-Pathfinder Cold Gas Thruster System

[摘要] The cold gas micro-propulsion system that will be used during the LISA-Pathfinder mission will be one of the most important component used to ensure the "free-fall" of the enclosed test masses. In this paper we present a possible strategy to characterize the effective direction and amplitude gain of each of the 6 thrusters of this system.

[发布机构] European Space Astronomy Centre, European Space Agency, Villanueva-de-la-Canada, Madrid; 28692, Spain^1;Albert-Einstein-Institut, Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Universität Hannover, Hannover; 30167, Germany^2;APC UMR7164, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France^3;Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, Trento; 38123, Italy^4;Airbus Defence and Space, Claude-Dornier-Strasse, Immenstaad; 88090, Germany^5;European Space Technology Centre, European Space Agency, Keplerlaan 1, Noordwijk; 2200 AG, Netherlands^6;Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Trento, Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Application / INFN, Povo, Trento; 38123, Italy^7;Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom^8;Airbus Defence and Space, Gunnels Wood Road, Hertfordshire, Stevenage; SG1 2AS, United Kingdom; (10) Institut für Geophysik, ETH Zürich, Sonneggstrasse 5, Zürich; CH-8092, Switzerland; (11) Institut de Ciències de l'Espai (CSIC-IEEC), Campus UAB, Facultat de Ciències, Bellaterra; 08193, Spain; (12) Istituto di Fisica, Università Degli Studi di Urbino, INFN Urbino (PU), Italy; (13) European Space Operations Centre, European Space Agency, Darmstadt; 64293, Germany; (14) Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, United Kingdom; (15) Physik Institut, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich; CH-8057, Switzerland; (16) Institute for Gravitational Research, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow; G12 8QQ, United Kingdom; (17) Department d'Enginyeria Electronica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona; 08034, Spain; (18) Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), C/ Gran Capità 2-4, Barcelona; 08034, Spain; (19) NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt; MD; 20771, United States; (20) CGS S.p.A, Compagnia Generale per Lo Spazio, Via Gallarate, 150, Milan; 20151, Italy^9

[关键词] Cold gas;Cold-gas thrusters;Free fall;LISA Pathfinder;Micro propulsion system