NSSDCA ID: 2018-080A-10
Mission Name: BepiColomboThe Mercury Orbiter Radio science Experiment (MORE) is integrated into the communications system of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter. Its objective is to characterize Mercury's size, obliquity, physical libration, internal structure and the physical state of its core, and test elements of gravity theory. The scientific objectives, with other experiments including the Italian Spring Accelerometer, are to: study the global gravity field of Mercury and its time variations due to solar tides in order to constrain the internal structure of the planet; observe the local gravity anomalies in order to constrain the mantle structure of the planet and the interface between mantle and crust; measure the rotation state of Mercury in order to constrain the size and the physical state of the core of the planet; and study the motion of Mercury centre of mass in order to improve the determination of the parameterised post– newtonian parameters of general relativity.
The primary component of MORE is a Ka-band transponder, which receives Ka-band radio transmissions from Earth and retransmits them coherently. The time delay allows accurate measurements of the spacecraft's distance to Earth. This gives an accuracy of 15 cm and range rate accuracy of 1.5 microns/sec at 1000 second integration times. This leads to orbital solutions and thence to the planet's affect on the spacecraft accelerations, from which the gravity can be modeled.
Questions and comments about this experiment can be directed to: Dr. David R. Williams
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Dr. Luciano Iess | Principal Investigator | Universita degli Studi di Roma | iess@hp.ifsi.fra.cnr.it |