The design and construction of a prototype lateral-transfer retro-reflector for inter-satellite laser ranging

R. L. Ward; R. Fleddermann; S. Francis; C. Mow-Lowry; D. Wuchenich; M. Elliot; F. Gilles; M. Herding; K. Nicklaus; J. Brown; J. Burke; S. Dligatch; D. Farrant; K. Green; J. Seckold; M. Blundell; R. Brister; C. Smith; K. Danzmann; G. Heinzel; D. Schütze; B. S. Sheard; W. Klipstein; D. E. McClelland; D. A. Shaddock

doi:10.1088/0264-9381/31/9/095015

The design and construction of a prototype lateral-transfer retro-reflector for inter-satellite laser ranging

R. L. Ward, R. Fleddermann, S. Francis, C. Mow-Lowry, D. Wuchenich, M. Elliot, F. Gilles, M. Herding, K. Nicklaus, J. Brown, J. Burke, S. Dligatch, D. Farrant, K. Green, J. Seckold, M. Blundell, R. Brister, C. Smith, K. Danzmann, G. HeinzelD. Schütze, B. S. Sheard, W. Klipstein, D. E. McClelland, D. A. Shaddock

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission, launched in 2002, is nearing an end, and a continuation mission (GRACE Follow-on) is on a fast-tracked development. GRACE Follow-on will include a laser ranging interferometer technology demonstrator, which will perform the first laser interferometric ranging measurement between separate spacecraft. This necessitates the development of lightweight precision optics that can operate in this demanding environment. In particular, this beam routing system, called the triple mirror assembly, for the GRACE Follow-on mission presents a significant manufacturing challenge. Here we report on the design and construction of a prototype triple mirror assembly for the GRACE Follow-on mission. Our constructed prototype has a co-alignment error between the incoming and outgoing beams of 9 μrad, which meets the requirement that this error must be less than 10 μrad.

Original language	English
Article number	095015
Journal	Classical and Quantum Gravity
Volume	31
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0264-9381/31/9/095015
Publication status	Published - 7 May 2014

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Ward, R. L., Fleddermann, R., Francis, S., Mow-Lowry, C., Wuchenich, D., Elliot, M., Gilles, F., Herding, M., Nicklaus, K., Brown, J., Burke, J., Dligatch, S., Farrant, D., Green, K., Seckold, J., Blundell, M., Brister, R., Smith, C., Danzmann, K., ... Shaddock, D. A. (2014). The design and construction of a prototype lateral-transfer retro-reflector for inter-satellite laser ranging. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 31(9), Article 095015. https://doi.org/10.1088/0264-9381/31/9/095015

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abstract = "The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission, launched in 2002, is nearing an end, and a continuation mission (GRACE Follow-on) is on a fast-tracked development. GRACE Follow-on will include a laser ranging interferometer technology demonstrator, which will perform the first laser interferometric ranging measurement between separate spacecraft. This necessitates the development of lightweight precision optics that can operate in this demanding environment. In particular, this beam routing system, called the triple mirror assembly, for the GRACE Follow-on mission presents a significant manufacturing challenge. Here we report on the design and construction of a prototype triple mirror assembly for the GRACE Follow-on mission. Our constructed prototype has a co-alignment error between the incoming and outgoing beams of 9 μrad, which meets the requirement that this error must be less than 10 μrad.",

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author = "Ward, {R. L.} and R. Fleddermann and S. Francis and C. Mow-Lowry and D. Wuchenich and M. Elliot and F. Gilles and M. Herding and K. Nicklaus and J. Brown and J. Burke and S. Dligatch and D. Farrant and K. Green and J. Seckold and M. Blundell and R. Brister and C. Smith and K. Danzmann and G. Heinzel and D. Sch{\"u}tze and Sheard, {B. S.} and W. Klipstein and McClelland, {D. E.} and Shaddock, {D. A.}",

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Ward, RL, Fleddermann, R, Francis, S, Mow-Lowry, C, Wuchenich, D, Elliot, M, Gilles, F, Herding, M, Nicklaus, K, Brown, J, Burke, J, Dligatch, S, Farrant, D, Green, K, Seckold, J, Blundell, M, Brister, R, Smith, C, Danzmann, K, Heinzel, G, Schütze, D, Sheard, BS, Klipstein, W, McClelland, DE & Shaddock, DA 2014, 'The design and construction of a prototype lateral-transfer retro-reflector for inter-satellite laser ranging', Classical and Quantum Gravity, vol. 31, no. 9, 095015. https://doi.org/10.1088/0264-9381/31/9/095015

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AU - Ward, R. L.

AU - Fleddermann, R.

AU - Francis, S.

AU - Mow-Lowry, C.

AU - Wuchenich, D.

AU - Elliot, M.

AU - Gilles, F.

AU - Herding, M.

AU - Nicklaus, K.

AU - Brown, J.

AU - Burke, J.

AU - Dligatch, S.

AU - Farrant, D.

AU - Green, K.

AU - Seckold, J.

AU - Blundell, M.

AU - Brister, R.

AU - Smith, C.

AU - Danzmann, K.

AU - Heinzel, G.

AU - Schütze, D.

AU - Sheard, B. S.

AU - Klipstein, W.

AU - McClelland, D. E.

AU - Shaddock, D. A.

PY - 2014/5/7

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N2 - The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission, launched in 2002, is nearing an end, and a continuation mission (GRACE Follow-on) is on a fast-tracked development. GRACE Follow-on will include a laser ranging interferometer technology demonstrator, which will perform the first laser interferometric ranging measurement between separate spacecraft. This necessitates the development of lightweight precision optics that can operate in this demanding environment. In particular, this beam routing system, called the triple mirror assembly, for the GRACE Follow-on mission presents a significant manufacturing challenge. Here we report on the design and construction of a prototype triple mirror assembly for the GRACE Follow-on mission. Our constructed prototype has a co-alignment error between the incoming and outgoing beams of 9 μrad, which meets the requirement that this error must be less than 10 μrad.

AB - The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission, launched in 2002, is nearing an end, and a continuation mission (GRACE Follow-on) is on a fast-tracked development. GRACE Follow-on will include a laser ranging interferometer technology demonstrator, which will perform the first laser interferometric ranging measurement between separate spacecraft. This necessitates the development of lightweight precision optics that can operate in this demanding environment. In particular, this beam routing system, called the triple mirror assembly, for the GRACE Follow-on mission presents a significant manufacturing challenge. Here we report on the design and construction of a prototype triple mirror assembly for the GRACE Follow-on mission. Our constructed prototype has a co-alignment error between the incoming and outgoing beams of 9 μrad, which meets the requirement that this error must be less than 10 μrad.

KW - gravity measurement

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JO - Classical and Quantum Gravity

JF - Classical and Quantum Gravity

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M1 - 095015

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The design and construction of a prototype lateral-transfer retro-reflector for inter-satellite laser ranging

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