LARES (LAser RElativity Satellite), a scientific satellite of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), has been accurately injected in the nominal orbit by the new ESA expendable launch vehicle, Vega during its qualification launch, on the 13th of February 2012. This was a very exciting result also because of the low success rate of qualification launches . Furthermore, several innovative technical solutions characterize the new European launch vehicle, such as the extensive use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic composites for the rocket structures. LARES program started on February 2008 when the Italian Space Agency awarded a contract to the prime contractor CGS (former Carlo Gavazzi Space). A peculiarity of the LARES program was the extensive involvement of universities in many aspects such as the technical design of the satellite and the innovative separation system. A strong cooperation between ASI and ESA about its respective programs, since the acceptance of the LARES mission for the Vega maiden flight, allowed to design a mission which satisfies the scientific requirements of the satellite along with the launcher qualification objectives. The trajectory itself was defined also taking into account the launch vehicle performance and trajectory constraints. The initial orbit envisaged for the maiden flight was a typical sun-synchronous orbit at about 750 km. However that was not acceptable for the science objectives, i.e., the measurement of the Lense-Thirring effect, an Einstein general relativity prediction. Therefore ESA and the launch vehicle authority, ELV (European Launch Vehicle) Prime Contractor of the VEGA development program, proposed a new orbit at 1200 km that later was changed to 1450 km along with small changes to the inclination in order to comply with all the safety constraints to the mission trajectory. In order to meet part of its qualification requirements, the VEGA upper-stage (AVUM) performed several maneuvers, especially during the ballistic phase, namely: the neutral axis maneuver, the barbeque, sun pointing, and spin axis maneuver. In this paper, an overview of the LARES mission and of its elements, including the payload ground segment, is given, together with the first results of the launch campaign and activities that brought the satellite in the final operative configuration.
LARES is in orbit! Some aspects of the mission
CIUFOLINI, Ignazio;
2012-01-01
Abstract
LARES (LAser RElativity Satellite), a scientific satellite of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), has been accurately injected in the nominal orbit by the new ESA expendable launch vehicle, Vega during its qualification launch, on the 13th of February 2012. This was a very exciting result also because of the low success rate of qualification launches . Furthermore, several innovative technical solutions characterize the new European launch vehicle, such as the extensive use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic composites for the rocket structures. LARES program started on February 2008 when the Italian Space Agency awarded a contract to the prime contractor CGS (former Carlo Gavazzi Space). A peculiarity of the LARES program was the extensive involvement of universities in many aspects such as the technical design of the satellite and the innovative separation system. A strong cooperation between ASI and ESA about its respective programs, since the acceptance of the LARES mission for the Vega maiden flight, allowed to design a mission which satisfies the scientific requirements of the satellite along with the launcher qualification objectives. The trajectory itself was defined also taking into account the launch vehicle performance and trajectory constraints. The initial orbit envisaged for the maiden flight was a typical sun-synchronous orbit at about 750 km. However that was not acceptable for the science objectives, i.e., the measurement of the Lense-Thirring effect, an Einstein general relativity prediction. Therefore ESA and the launch vehicle authority, ELV (European Launch Vehicle) Prime Contractor of the VEGA development program, proposed a new orbit at 1200 km that later was changed to 1450 km along with small changes to the inclination in order to comply with all the safety constraints to the mission trajectory. In order to meet part of its qualification requirements, the VEGA upper-stage (AVUM) performed several maneuvers, especially during the ballistic phase, namely: the neutral axis maneuver, the barbeque, sun pointing, and spin axis maneuver. In this paper, an overview of the LARES mission and of its elements, including the payload ground segment, is given, together with the first results of the launch campaign and activities that brought the satellite in the final operative configuration.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
