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Design, manufacturing, and assembly of the GRASS small body gravimeter spring

dc.contributor.authorNoeker, M.
dc.contributor.authorRitter, B.
dc.contributor.authorVan Ransbeeck, E.
dc.contributor.authorKaratekin, Ö.
dc.date2024
dc.date.accessioned2025-04-18T09:31:28Z
dc.date.available2025-04-18T09:31:28Z
dc.identifier.urihttps://orfeo.belnet.be/handle/internal/14024
dc.descriptionThe GRAvimeter for small Solar System bodies (GRASS) is a novel spring-based gravimeter for the application in extremely low-gravity environments on small bodies in our Solar System. It is one of the Juventas CubeSat payloads as part of the ESA Hera mission to measure the surface gravity on the asteroid moon Dimorphos. The GRASS gravimeter was successfully launched on-board Hera on 7 October 2024. Key element of this instrument is the gravimeter spring, a cantilever-type bending spring, allowing for measurements at arbitrary instrument orientation. This paper presents the design, manufacturing, and integration of the developed sensing element assembly. The spring design can serve as a future reference for data analysis of the gravimeter data obtained in-situ on extraterrestrial surfaces. The manufacturing process is detailed, including the raw material, laser cutting, heat treatment, and gold sputtering. The step-by-step assembly describes the integration of the spring assembly which includes the clamping of the spring and the tip mass, added to the spring to realise larger deflections and henceforth increase the sensitivity of the instrument for the small body gravity environment.
dc.languageeng
dc.titleDesign, manufacturing, and assembly of the GRASS small body gravimeter spring
dc.typeArticle
dc.subject.frascatiPhysical sciences
dc.audienceScientific
dc.subject.freeAsteroids
dc.subject.freeBending (forming)
dc.subject.freeLaser beam cutting
dc.subject.freeSolar equipment
dc.subject.freeTropics
dc.subject.freeBending spring
dc.subject.freeCubesat
dc.subject.freeDidymos
dc.subject.freeDimorpho
dc.subject.freeGRASS
dc.subject.freeHera mission
dc.subject.freeInstrumentation
dc.subject.freeLow gravity environment
dc.subject.freeSmall bodies
dc.subject.freeSpace gravimeter
dc.subject.freeGravimeters
dc.source.titleCEAS Space Journal
Orfeo.peerreviewedYes
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s12567-024-00574-8
dc.identifier.url


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