NEW TEST APPROACHES IN THE GOCE PROJECT

摘要

The Gravity and Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) program is a core project of the European Space Agency (ESA) among the future missions of Earth exploration. GOCE will improve the gravity field and geoid model for use in a wide range of applications (geodesy, oceanography, solid-Earth physics, etc.) providing measurements with high spatial resolution and accuracy. The program is managed by a consortium of European companies: Alenia Spazio, the prime contractor, Astrium GmbH, the platform responsible, Alcatel Space Industries and Laben, the suppliers of the main payloads, respectively the Electrostatic Gravity Gradiometer (EGG) and the Satellite to Satellite Tracking Instrument (SSTI). After a presentation of GOCE mission objectives and it’s the main technical characteristics of the Satellite, this paper will describe the features of the new test approach selected in the GOCE project. In particular, in the frame of the AIV program, the Environmental Test Campaign will be presented highlighting the solutions adopted to overcome technical and programmatic challenges. The Thermo-elastic stability test features are presented in detail with the concerned trade-off. Furthermore the paper highlights how the Model and Test Effectiveness Database (MAT€D) can be utilized for the prediction of the new space projects.