Microscope

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Microscope
Type: Research satellite
Country: FranceFrance France
Operator: CNES
COSPAR-ID : 2016-025B
Mission dates
Dimensions: 300 kg
Begin: April 25, 2016, 21:02 UTC
Starting place: ELS , Center Spatial Guyanais
Launcher: Soyuz 2-1a / Fregat VS-14
Status: active
Orbit data
Rotation time : 99.0 min
Orbit inclination : 98.2 °
Apogee height 721 km
Perigee height 719 km

Microscope is the name of a French small satellite that was launched into sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 710 km on April 25, 2016 . It should check the equivalence principle with an accuracy of better than 10 −15 , a factor of 100 more precisely than previous measurements on earth. In addition, he carries two bodies made of different materials, whose fall properties he observes in the gravitational field of the earth.

Microscope weighs approx. 300 kg. The position control is done by electric engines. The satellite is based on the myriad - satellite bus .

So far, no deviation from the equivalence principle could be determined with an accuracy of 2 • 10 −14 . For this purpose, only 10% of the available data were evaluated.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. path data according MICROSCOPE. N2YO, April 28, 2016, accessed April 28, 2016 .
  2. Flight VS14 - A successful Arianespace launch with Soyuz, supporting sustainable development, fundamental physics and promoting space careers. arianespace, April 25, 2016, accessed April 27, 2016 .
  3. ^ Microscope. Retrieved April 27, 2016 (English).
  4. ^ Valerio Cipolla et al: Microscope: A Scientific Microsatellite Development. In: AIAA / USU Conference on Small Satellites. 2016, accessed January 20, 2017 .
  5. ONERA: Conference de presse - 4 décembre 2017. December 4, 2017, accessed on June 12, 2018 (French).