Research and Development of Electrostatic Accelerometers for Space Science Missions at HUST

Area of Science:

• Space physics
• Instrumental science
• Gravitational wave astronomy

Background:

• High-precision electrostatic accelerometers are vital for satellite Earth gravity field recovery.
• Ultralow-noise inertial sensors are essential for space gravitational wave detection missions, such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission.
• Key technologies for these sensors have been successfully validated in the LISA Pathfinder mission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the operational principles, applications, and mission requirements of electrostatic accelerometers and inertial sensors.
• To present the development and progress of a space electrostatic accelerometer at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST).
• To detail ground investigation and space verification of the HUST-developed space electrostatic accelerometer.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on electrostatic accelerometers and inertial sensors in space missions.
• Description of the capacitive sensor and electrostatic control techniques employed by HUST.
• Presentation of data from ground investigations and space verification experiments.

Main Results:

• Successful development and independent study of space accelerometers and inertial sensors at HUST for over 16 years.
• Demonstration of the operational principles and applications of these sensors in various space missions.
• Validation of the HUST space electrostatic accelerometer through ground and space verification.

Conclusions:

• Electrostatic accelerometers are enabling technologies for advanced space science missions.
• HUST has made significant independent progress in developing space-grade electrostatic accelerometers and inertial sensors.
• The presented work highlights the successful development and verification of HUST's technology for future space applications.