A new generation of ultra-sensitive electrostatic accelerometers for GRACE Follow-on and towards the next generation gravity missions

摘要

The sensor core configuration of the electrostatic accelerometers of the CHAMP, GRACE and GOCE missions has been especially designed for space applications and so optimized in regard to the weak level of acceleration to sustain and measure in orbit. The return of experience of these three gravity space missions which demonstrate the robustness and the performances of this family of space instruments, allows a better optimization of the design of the accelerometer in terms of thermal stability and operation reliability for the near future missions as GRACE follow-on. The paper presents the improvement of the GRACE-FO accelerometer with respect to the still in-orbit previous models and a status of its development.