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Testing the GRACE follow-on triple mirror assembly. (English) Zbl 1304.83001

Summary: We report on the successful testing of the GRACE follow-on triple mirror assembly (TMA) prototype. This component serves to route the laser beam in a proposed follow-on mission to the Gravity Recovery and Climate Explorer (GRACE) mission, containing an optical instrument for space-based distance measurement between satellites. As part of this, the TMA has to meet a set of stringent requirements on both the optical and mechanical properties. The purpose of the TMA prototype testing is to establish the feasibility of the design, materials choice and fabrication techniques. Here we report on co-alignment testing of this device to the arc second (5 \(\mu\)rad) level and thermal alignment stability testing to 1 \(\mu \text{rad} \,{K}^{-1}\).

MSC:

83-05 Experimental work for problems pertaining to relativity and gravitational theory
83C10 Equations of motion in general relativity and gravitational theory
85A04 General questions in astronomy and astrophysics
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