Title of Presentation: Development of a
Primary (Corresponding) Author: Rob Thompson
Organization of Primary Author: NASA Jet Propulsion laboratory
Co-Authors: James M. Kohel, James R. Kellogg, David Aveline, Lute Maleki, and
Abstract: As part of the Earth Science Technology OfficeInstrument Incubator Program, JPL is developing a mobile gravity gradiometer based on atom interferometer technology. This is a significant step towards a new space-borne gradiometer instrument, which can significantly contribute to global gravity mapping and monitoring important in the understanding of the solid earth, ice and oceans, and dynamic processes. In this paper, we will briefly review the principles and technical benefits of atom-wave interferometer-based inertial sensors in space. We will then describe the technical implementation of the mobile instrument and report its status. We will also discuss our implementation plan for the next generation instrument.