LARES (satellite)

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LARES
LARES satellite
Mission typeLaser ranging satellite
Tests of general relativity[1][2]
OperatorItalian Space Agency (ASI)
COSPAR ID2012-006A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.38077
Websitehttp://www.lares-mission.com/
Mission durationLARES 1: 12 years, 2 months and 13 days (elapsed)
LARES 2: 1 year, 9 months and 12 days (elasped)
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerCarlo Gavazzi Space
Launch mass386.8 kg
Dimensions36.4 cm (diameter)
Start of mission
Launch date13 February 2012, 10:00:00 UTC 14 July 2022, 13:13:43 UTC
RocketVega VV01 Vega-C VV21
Launch siteKourou, ELA-1
ContractorArianespace
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit[3]
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Perigee altitude1437 km
Apogee altitude1451 km
Inclination69.49°
Period114.75 minutes
 

LARES (Laser Relativity Satellite) is a

passive satellite system of the Italian Space Agency.[4]

Mission

LARES 1

LARES 1 was launched into orbit on 13 February 2012 at 10:00:00 UTC. It was launched on the first

ESA Centre Spatial Guyanais in Kourou, French Guiana.[5]

Composition

The satellite is made of THA-18N, a tungsten alloy,[6] and houses 92 cube-corner retroreflectors, which are used to track the satellite via laser from stations on Earth. LARES's body has a diameter of about 36.4 centimetres (14.3 in) and a mass of about 387 kilograms (853 lb).[1][7] LARES was inserted in a nearly circular orbit near 1,451 kilometres (902 mi) and an inclination of 69.49 degrees. The satellite is tracked by the International Laser Ranging Service stations.[8]

The LARES satellite is the densest object known orbiting the Earth.[1] The high density helps reduce disturbances from environmental factors such as solar radiation pressure.[citation needed]

Scientific goals

The main scientific target of the LARES mission is the measurement of the Lense–Thirring effect with an accuracy of about 1%, according to principal investigator Ignazio Ciufolini and the LARES scientific team,[9] but the reliability of that estimate is contested.[10]

In contrast, a recent analysis of 3.5 years of laser-ranging data reported a claimed accuracy of about 4%.[11] Critical remarks appeared later in the literature.[12][clarification needed]

Beyond the project's key mission, the LARES satellite may be used for other tests of general relativity as well as measurements in the fields of geodynamics and satellite geodesy.[13]

LARES 2

A second satellite, LARES 2, was launched into orbit on 13 July 2022 at 13:13:43 UTC on a

Vega-C.[14] It was originally due to launch in mid-2021.[15][16] The launch was delayed to mid-2022 due to continuing impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.[17][18]

LARES 2 may improve the accuracy of the frame-dragging effect measurement to 0.2%.[19] Concerns about the actual possibility of reaching this goal were raised.[20] LARES 2 is made of a nickel alloy instead of a tungsten alloy.[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "The LAser RElativity Satellite". The LARES Team. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  2. ^ "LARES". International Laser Ranging Service. Retrieved 28 February 2013. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ Peat, Chris (29 July 2013). "LARES - Orbit". Heavens-Above. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  4. Agenzia Spaziale Italiana. Archived from the original
    on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 12 March 2009.
  5. ^
  6. ISBN 9788895940304
    .
  7. ^ Peroni, I.; et al. (2007). "The Design of LARES: A satellite for testing General Relativity". Proceedings of the 58th International Astronautical Congress. IAC-07-B4.2.07.
  8. ^
  9. ^
  10. S2CID 14946573
    .
  11. PMID 27471430
    .
  12. S2CID 118945777
    .
  13. S2CID 111380211
    .
  14. ^ European Space Agency, ed. (13 July 2022). "Vega-C successfully completes inaugural flight". www.esa.int. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  15. ^ Henry, Caleb (14 September 2020). "Vega C debut slips to mid-2021". SpaceNews. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  16. ^ "Launch Schedule – Spaceflight Now". 15 September 2020. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  17. ^ Kanayama, Lee (29 October 2021). "Ariane 6 undergoing preparations for its 2022 debut". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Launch Schedule – Spaceflight Now". Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  19. arXiv:1910.13818
  20. ^ Iorio, L. (2023). "Limitations in Testing the Lense–Thirring Effect with LAGEOS and the Newly Launched Geodetic Satellite LARES 2".
    doi:10.3390/universe9050211
    .
  21. ^ "Mission Lares 2". Retrieved 13 July 2022.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=LARES_(satellite)&oldid=1188665872"