The LARES-Lab thermovacuum testing facility has been created for testing the optical payloads of LARES (LAser RElativity Satellite), i.e. the laser retroreflectors for ranging and tracking the satellite. Last spring the LARES 2 satellite has been approved by the Italian Space Agency and the facility is currently being used within this project. The system meets the ECSS standards for testing space equipment in simulated space environments. A feature of the chamber is the high quality optical window used, in combination with an optical table outside the chamber, for testing the retroreflectors in vacuum. The most recent upgrade was a feed-through for optical fibres, for using FBG (Fiber Bragg Gratings) sensors inside the chamber. The FBG technology is promising for the use on space structures since it has some interesting qualities such as the small dimensions and immunity to electromagnetic interferences. This paper will report the results of the first tests of the FBG sensors in the simulated space environment provided by the facility.
The LARES-lab thermovacuum facility with FBG sensor monitoring capability
I. Ciufolini;
2017-01-01
Abstract
The LARES-Lab thermovacuum testing facility has been created for testing the optical payloads of LARES (LAser RElativity Satellite), i.e. the laser retroreflectors for ranging and tracking the satellite. Last spring the LARES 2 satellite has been approved by the Italian Space Agency and the facility is currently being used within this project. The system meets the ECSS standards for testing space equipment in simulated space environments. A feature of the chamber is the high quality optical window used, in combination with an optical table outside the chamber, for testing the retroreflectors in vacuum. The most recent upgrade was a feed-through for optical fibres, for using FBG (Fiber Bragg Gratings) sensors inside the chamber. The FBG technology is promising for the use on space structures since it has some interesting qualities such as the small dimensions and immunity to electromagnetic interferences. This paper will report the results of the first tests of the FBG sensors in the simulated space environment provided by the facility.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.