Gravity, Geodesy and Fundamental Physics with BepiColombo’s MORE Investigation

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s11214-021-00800-3.pdf (5.56 MB)

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https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11214-021-00800-3

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https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-021-00800-3
 http://hdl.handle.net/11603/26690

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UMBC Center for Space Sciences and Technology (CSST) / Center for Research and Exploration in Space Sciences & Technology II (CRSST II)
UMBC Faculty Collection

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https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9070-7947

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2021-02-08

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journal articles
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Citation of Original Publication

Iess, L., Asmar, S.W., Cappuccio, P. et al. Gravity, Geodesy and Fundamental Physics with BepiColombo’s MORE Investigation. Space Sci Rev 217, 21 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-021-00800-3

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This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
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Abstract

The Mercury Orbiter Radio Science Experiment (MORE) of the ESA mission BepiColombo will provide an accurate estimation of Mercury’s gravity field and rotational state, improved tests of general relativity, and a novel deep space navigation system. The key experimental setup entails a highly stable, multi-frequency radio link in X and Ka band, enabling two-way range rate measurements of 3 micron/s at nearly all solar elongation angles. In addition, a high chip rate, pseudo-noise ranging system has already been tested at 1-2 cm accuracy. The tracking data will be used together with the measurements of the Italian Spring Accelerometer to provide a pseudo drag free environment for the data analysis. We summarize the existing literature published over the past years and report on the overall configuration of the experiment, its operations in cruise and at Mercury, and the expected scientific results.