Abstract

LARES (LAser RElativity Satellite), is an Italian Space Agency (ASI) mission to be launched beginning of 2012 with the new European launch vehicle, VEGA; the launch opportunity was provided by the European Space Agency (ESA). LARES is a laser ranged satellite; it will be launched into a nearly circular orbit, with an altitude of 1450 km and an inclination of 69.5 degrees. The goal of the mission is the measurement of the Lense-Thirring effect with an uncertainty of few percent; such a small uncertainty will be achieved using LARES data together with data from the LAGEOS I (NASA) and LAGEOS II (NASA and ASI) satellites, and because GRACE mission (NASA-CSR and DLR-GFZ) is improving Earth's gravity field models. This paper describes LARES experiment along with the principal error sources affecting the measurement. Furthermore, some engineering aspects of the mission, in particular the structure and materials of the satellite (designed in order to minimize the non-gravitational perturbations), are described.

Autore Pugliese

• Ciufolini Ignazio

Tutti gli autori

• I. Ciufolini , A. Paolozzi , C. Paris

Titolo volume/Rivista

JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONFERENCE SERIES

Anno di pubblicazione

2012

ISSN

1742-6588

ISBN

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Wos

11

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

28/04/2018

Numero di citazioni Scopus

41

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

28/04/2018

Settori ERC

Non Disponibile

Codici ASJC

Non Disponibile