ESA microgravity and microdynamics activities — An overview

Abstract

The utilization of the low gravity environment of earth orbiting spacecraft provides new opportunities for experiment performance and applications in the field of fluid physics, material, life and biological sciences. However, the environment is not quiescent on-board of Earth orbiting spacecraft as well as scientific satellites with very high pointing stability requirements. It is affected by various acceleration sources and constituents that arise under typical orbital and operational conditions. Microvibrations affect microgravity experiments during their performance in space and they affect the line-of-sight stability of instruments. Such effects need to be taken into account during the spacecraft development, mission planning and operation, and postmission analysis. The paper provides an overview on the ESA microgravity and microdynamics activities in the field and applications of ongoing projects and programmes. A review is given on microgravity payload sensitivities, disturbance sources, micropointing stability requirements of satellites and scientific experiments. Microdynamics control approaches, plans and philosophies are presented which are employed in various project and programmes. Supporting technology tasks are presented which are performed in the framework of ESA R&D activities which shall provide the scientific projects and programmes with adequate solutions.