Special Session 17

SPECIAL SESSION #17

Space based gravitational measurements: from the detection of Gravitational Waves to ultra-sensitive geodesy

Carlo Sasso

National Institute of Metrological Research, Italy

• c.sasso@inrim.it

Carlo Zanoni

National Institute of Nuclear Physics, Italy

• carlo.zanoni@unitn.it

Experimental gravitation from space is a growing field that has allowed unprecedented observation of the Earth and tests of our theories of gravity and spacetime. Soon it could revolutionize our understanding of the universe giving an extended access to gravitational wave astronomy. The detection of gravitational waves and ultra-sensitive geodesy need technologies that represent the forefront of space engineering and precision measurement science.

This special session will bring together experts to explore the latest developments in space borne platforms and instrumentation designed to measure gravitational phenomena with unique accuracy. Spacecraft constellations and their interferometric or other nature linkage are at the base of their unprecedented resolution. The session will also be the place where to present contributions on this topic.

Key topics include the engineering challenges of missions such as LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna), which aims to detect gravitational waves from astrophysical sources, the scientific breakthroughs of its precursor, LISA-Pathfinder, and satellite geodesy missions that enhance our understanding of Earth's gravitational field. Discussions will focus on enabling technologies such as ultra-stable optical systems, high-precision inertial sensors, and cutting-edge thermal and mechanical design solutions.

Key topics:

• High-precision Inertial sensors with optical and electrostatic reading;
• Drag-free control systems;
• The LISA engineering challenges;
• The scientific breakthroughs of LISA-Pathfinder;
• Satellite interferometric link;
• Satellite geodesy missions;
• Ultra-stable optical systems;
• Cutting-edge thermal and mechanical design solutions.

Carlo Sasso, graduated in Physics in 1997 and then obtained a Ph.D. in Metrology at the Politecnico di Torino in 2001. He is Senior Scientist at the "Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRIM)" in Torino and at present his main scientific and technological interests are related to optics and optical measurement applied to space and to the metrology of mass and length. He coordinates the activity of INRIM for the mission LISA, the first gravitational wave observatory in space, and has contributed to many contract with the European Space Agency. He contributed to the redefinition of the mass unit in the SI and the determination of the Avogadro Constant working in the group that has determined the lattice parameter of Si using the combined optical and x-ray interferometry. Previously, he performed his research in the field of magnetism and magnetic materials and has been visiting professor at the Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble – G2ELAB/ Grenoble.

Carlo Zanoni, is a Senior Engineer at the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), where he is the Project Engineer for the Gravitational Reference System of the LISA mission, the first gravitational wave observatory in space and a large class mission approved for launch in 2035. For INFN, he is also external reviewer of the VIRGO experiment. He has worked for several years as Opto-mechanical Engineer at the European Southern Observatory (Germany), developing astronomical instruments for the Extremely Large Telescope, and as a Senior Fellow in the Design Office at CERN (Switzerland), coordinating novel superconducting systems for the upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Systems and has been a visiting researcher at Stanford University (USA) and a trainee at Airbus Space (Germany).