Search Publications
Analysis and interpretation of the in-flight dynamics of a critical space mechanism
Dalla Ricca, Edoardo; Bortoluzzi, Daniele; Vignotto, Davide
The study hereby presented develops a mechatronic model of a critical space mechanism for a comprehensive interpretation of its in-flight performance. The mechanism was operated in the LISA Pathfinder European Space Agency mission, which was flown to test key technologies developed for detecting gravitational waves from space. The mission accompli…
Development of a dynamical model of a release mechanism for in-flight performance prediction
Dalla Ricca, Edoardo; Bortoluzzi, Daniele; Vignotto, Davide +1 more
LISA Pathfinder (LPF) was an ESA mission which was launched to test the most relevant technologies for the forthcoming mission, named LISA, which will be the first gravitational wave observer in space. The LPF payload includes two gravitational reference sensors, each one containing the sensing body of the experiment, i.e. a cubic-shaped test-mass…
In-flight testing of the injection of the LISA Pathfinder test mass into a geodesic
Mendes, L.; Russano, G.; Nofrarias, M. +77 more
LISA Pathfinder is a technology demonstrator space mission, aimed at testing key technologies for detecting gravitational waves in space. The mission is the precursor of LISA, the first space gravitational waves observatory, whose launch is scheduled for 2034. The LISA Pathfinder scientific payload includes two gravitational reference sensors (GRS…
Investigation of the in-flight anomalies of the LISA Pathfinder Test Mass release mechanism
Bortoluzzi, D.; Mendes, J.; Vignotto, D. +1 more
The LISA Pathfinder mission was flown to test some key technologies for the in-flight detection of gravitational waves. The mechanism developed to initialise the science phase, releasing the test mass into a geodesic trajectory, produced unexpected test mass states, requiring dedicated in-flight and on-ground test campaigns. Due to the limited inf…
LISA Pathfinder mission extension: A feasibility analysis
Rasotto, Mirco; Renk, Florian; Dei Tos, Diogene A. +1 more
A proposed mission extension for LISA Pathfinder involved redirecting the probe to the Sun-Earth gravitational saddle point. Realistic models for both space and ground segments were used to carry out a number of analyses for trajectory design, orbit determination, and navigation cost. In this work, we present the methods that allow assessing the f…
On-ground testing of the role of adhesion in the LISA-Pathfinder test mass injection phase
Bortoluzzi, D.; Zanoni, C.; Conklin, J. W.
Many space missions share the need to fly a free-falling body inside the spacecraft, as a reference for navigation and/or as a probe for the local gravitational field. When a mechanism is required to cage such an object during the launch phase, the need arises to release it to free-fall once the operational phase must be initiated in orbit. The cr…