DIFFERENTIAL ACCELEROMETER TESTING

Ground-based testing and qualification of the STEP differential accebr ometers is important for instrument development and overall mission su ccess. A facility for testing the various subsystems of the flight acc elerometer, including the superconducting magnetic bearings, is under development at Stanford University. Achieving the required sensitivity led to the development of an apparatus comprising cryogenics, a multi ple degree-of-freedom tipper table, an active control system electrost atic suspension and a capacitive sensing system.